New report highlights pan-Canadian need for safe staffing to protect patient safety →

A new @CIHI_ICIS report gives a glance into rates of overtime, sick time, private agency nurse hours, and unintentional patient harm in Canada’s hospital inpatient units. One thing is clear: to protect patient safety, we need to better retain nurses.

CFNU President - Linda Silas

“You are not angels of mercy. You are hard working professional nurses and you deserve respect!” was CFNU President Linda Silas' message to the more than 1000 people attending UNA's AGM in Edmonton today.

Retaining Nurses

Parkland Conference →

The @ParklandInst's “At the Crossroads” conference on November 17-19 is a space where we can learn from each other and begin shaping the Alberta we want for us and for future generations.

40% of nurses are looking for the exit sign →

Planning session to fight the proposal for an Alberta Pension Plan

The CDLC invites you to join us Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 7 pm

For a planning session to fight the proposal for an Alberta Pension Plan

Click link to join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84879918496?pwd=REdLNEFFekZtMUxuR1Z6aHZkUGp1UT09

Meeting ID: 848 7991 8496 Passcode: 445331

CDLC Food Drive

If people go in person on Monday Sept 4th, you get entered into draws for a Nintendo switch, I watch and pizza oven!

Follow link for details!

https://bit.ly/47QPvX1

The CDLC S'ean Gillen Memorial Scholarships

Calgary & District Labour Council S'ean Gillen Memorial Scholarship

Terms of Reference

Value: Two (2) $2500 scholarships to be awarded annually.

Eligibility:

Awarded to affiliated members of the CDLC, their spouses, or dependents, whose union local is

in good standing.

These scholarships are available for education or training from a recognized educational

institution. (Public postsecondary institutions given authority to grant degrees, diplomas, and

certificates through specific legislation are “recognized” institutions. A small number of private

postsecondary institutions also have been given degree-granting authority, and these too are

“recognized.”)

Criteria:

The person applying (or their family member), must be a dues-paying member of a union local

that is affiliated to the Calgary & District Labour Council, and work in the Calgary district (as

defined in the CDLC by-laws).

For the duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic the CDLC will be accepting applications from union

members or their families who have been temporarily laid off.

How to Apply:

Fill out the scholarship application form and the questionnaire, and submit to the office of the

Calgary & District Labour Council by mail to #321, 3132 - 26 St. NE Calgary, AB T1Y 6Z1, or by

email to admin@thecdlc.ca.

Deadline:

Must be received by June 1st. The scholarship recipients will be notified by September 1st.

Applicants are required to submit a completed questionnaire. (see below)

Decisions of the CDLC Scholarship Committee will be final. The scholarship committee will be comprised

of the CDLC President, one member of the CDLC Executive, and one delegate to the CDLC.

The CDLC will remit monies directly to the successful recipient, upon the provision of their documentation

indicating the course(s) for which they have registered.

Previous recipients of a CDLC's Sean Gillen Memorial Scholarship must wait two years before they can

apply again.

DLC S’ean Gillen Memorial Scholarship Questionnaire

Answer only one of the three questions provided.

Answers may be presented in point format.

May be presented on a separate sheet than this one.

1. Why are unions important to me? (maximum 250 words)

2. What have unions done to improve the lives of workers? (maximum (250 words)

3. What are recent examples of union successes in Alberta? (maximum 250 words)

COVID-19 Variants of Concern and Canada’s Immunization Efforts

Fact Sheet

February 18, 2021

Summary: A number of new COVID-19 variants of concern have recently been identified in Canada  during 2021, leading to concerns about increased transmissibility, potentially worsened disease severity  and resistance to existing vaccines. 

How immunity after vaccination works: The immunity to the coronavirus we develop following  vaccination or infection is largely due to the development of antibodies that bind to the receptor binding domain (RBD).1 

How the current vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) approved in Canada work to protect people: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are both mRNA vaccines. mRNA vaccines work by introducing an mRNA  sequence (the molecule which tells cells what to build) which is coded for a disease-specific antigen; once produced within the body, the antigen is recognised by the immune system, preparing it to fight  the real thing. 

Mutations of concern in new variants 

N501Y: Using the spike protein is how the coronavirus enters cells, and N501Y is in an especially  important region called the receptor-binding domain, which latches on to the cell. An N501Y mutation  may make the spike protein stickier, allowing it to bind to and enter cells more readily. 

D614G: The D614G strain of coronavirus dominates because it increases the spike protein’s ability to  open cells for the virus to enter. The D614G mutation causes a flap on the tip of one spike to pop open,  allowing the virus to infect cells more efficiently. 

E484K escape mutation: Mutations in the spike domain of the virus can allow the virus to evade or  partially evade these antibodies. This is the reason they are called “escape mutations”.  

Current status: 570 cases of variants have been confirmed in Canada (February 17, 2021). 

1 Receptor-binding domain (RBD) is a key part of a virus located on its spike domain that allows the virus to dock to  body receptors and gain entry into cells, leading to infection. 

B117 (UK/Kent variant) 

• First detected in September 2020 in Greater London UK region. 

• First detected in December in Ontario; now found in all Canadian provinces, most in Ontario; 300 cases in Newfoundland and Labrador have been associated with this variant. Community spread of B117 has been confirmed in at least four provinces. It is predicted to become the dominant variant sometime in March. 

• Transmissibility rate: averages 50% (CDC) 

• Why it spreads 

o One analysis found that more than a third of patients infected by B117 had high viral loads. o N501Y: Because of the N501Y mutation, B117 strain may also be ‘stickier’, or better able to  grab onto the cells that it infects. 

o D614G: Allows B117 to enter cells more effectively, giving it the ability to spread more  quickly than the original predominant virus. 

• Risk of severe illness: In January 2021, scientists from the UK reported evidence that suggests the  B117 variant may be associated with an increased risk of death, compared with other variants. According to UK researchers, it is estimated to be 30% more fatal. 

• Vaccine efficacy: Because B117 and the most prevalent strain share 99% of the same proteins, it is  likely that both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will still be effective against the variant. 

B117 with E484K mutation 

• On February 1, 2021, scientists in the United Kingdom reported that a small number of B117  variants have developed the E484K mutation thought to help SARS-CoV-2 partly evade immunity. 

501Y.V2, or B.1.351 (South African variant) 

• First detected in October 2020 in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa 

• Detected first in Alberta in January 2021, now in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia  • Based on the UK variant 

• Transmissibility rate: 50% 

• Why it spreads 

o N501Y: Because of the N501Y mutation, the strain may also be ‘stickier’, or better able to  grab onto the cells that it infects. 

o D614G: Allows B.1.351 to enter cells more effectively, giving it the ability to spread more  quickly than the original predominant virus. 

• Risk of severe illness: Currently there is no evidence to suggest that this variant has any impact on  disease severity. 

• Vaccine efficacy:  

o This variant has multiple mutations in the spike protein, including the escape mutation  E484K. 

o A laboratory study suggests that the South African variant of the coronavirus may reduce  antibody protection from the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by two -thirds, and it is not clear if the  shot will be effective against the mutation, the companies have said. The study found the  vaccine was still able to neutralise the virus, and there is not yet evidence from trials in  people that the variant reduces vaccine protection, particularly against severe illness. The  company is making investments and talking to regulators about developing an updated  version of their mRNA vaccine, or a booster shot, if needed. 

P.1 (Brazilian variant) 

• First identified in January 2021 in travelers from Brazil who arrived in Japan • Detected in Ontario only (one case) 

• Based on the UK variant 

• Transmissibility rate: unknown 

• Why it spreads 

o N501Y: Because of the N501Y mutation may also be ‘stickier’, or better able to grab onto  the cells that it infects. 

o D614G: Allows P.1 to enter cells more effectively, giving it the ability to spread more quickly  than the original predominant virus. 

• Risk of severe illness: Currently there is no evidence to suggest that this variant has any impact on  disease severity. 

• Vaccine efficacy: unknown 

o The P.1 variant has 17 unique mutations, including three in the receptor-binding domain of  the spike protein, and including the escape mutation E484K. 

B1525 (Nigerian variant) 

• 1 case found in British Columbia 

• Includes the escape mutation E484K 

Will the existing vaccines work? Evidence suggests that the available COVID-19 vaccines may still  produce protective immune response against the new variants identified even when the escape mutation is present. Changes to the vaccine can be made to target novel variants and will likely be  needed as new variants will begin to become dominant amongst the viruses that are circulating. 

Strategies have been devised to overcome a potential decrease in vaccine efficacy: • The vaccine administration regimen can be modified to increase the overall immune response  and, ideally, provide more protection against new variants (e.g., an additional booster vaccine  dose can be considered). 

• Optimisation of the original vaccine, such as the development of a new version with an  updated spike protein, is also possible. 

• To determine whether either of these approaches are required, surveillance data on emerging  variants are being collected to ensure that the best vaccine strategy is being employed. • As new variants continue to spread, it is more important than ever that existing public health  measures – masking, physical distancing, hand washing, cleaning protocols and ventilation – be  maintained and even potentially enhanced, even as the vaccine rollout continues across  Canada.  

References 

Zhang, Z. (2021, January 18). The Atlantic. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/01/coronavirus-evolving-same-mutations-around world/617721/ 

CDC: 

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/scientific-brief emerging-variants.html 

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant info.html 

Zimmer, K. (2021, January 26). The Scientist Magazine. A Guide to Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants | The  Scientist Magazine® (the-scientist.com) 

Technology Networks. (2020, November 13). Genomics Research from Technology. https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/what-the-d614g-mutation-means-for-sars-cov 2-vaccines-342786 

Duong, D. (2021, January 25). CMAJ. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/193/4/E141 

Astrazeneca: 

https://www.astrazeneca.com/what-science-can-do/topics/disease-understanding/the-natural evolution-of-sars-cov-2.html

Calgary & District Labour Council S'ean Gillen Memorial Scholarship

Terms of Reference

Value: Two (2) $2500 scholarships to be awarded annually.

Eligibility:

Awarded to affiliated members of the CDLC, their spouses, or dependents, whose union local is

in good standing.

These scholarships are available for education or training from a recognized educational

institution. (Public postsecondary institutions given authority to grant degrees, diplomas, and

certificates through specific legislation are “recognized” institutions. A small number of private

postsecondary institutions also have been given degree-granting authority, and these too are

“recognized.”)

Criteria:

The person applying (or their family member), must be a dues-paying member of a union local

that is affiliated to the Calgary & District Labour Council, and work in the Calgary district (as

defined in the CDLC by-laws).

For the duration of the COVID-19 Pandemic the CDLC will be accepting applications from union

members or their families who have been temporarily laid off.

How to Apply:

Fill out the scholarship application form and the questionnaire, and submit to the office of the

Calgary & District Labour Council by mail to #321, 3132 - 26 St. NE Calgary, AB T1Y 6Z1, or by

email to admin@thecdlc.ca.

Deadline:

Must be received by June 1st. The scholarship recipients will be notified by September 1st.

Applicants are required to submit a completed questionnaire. (see below)

Decisions of the CDLC Scholarship Committee will be final. The scholarship committee will be comprised

of the CDLC President, one member of the CDLC Executive, and one delegate to the CDLC.

The CDLC will remit monies directly to the successful recipient, upon the provision of their documentation

indicating the course(s) for which they have registered.

Previous recipients of a CDLC's Sean Gillen Memorial Scholarship must wait two years before they can

apply again.

DLC S’ean Gillen Memorial Scholarship Questionnaire

Answer only one of the three questions provided.

Answers may be presented in point format.

May be presented on a separate sheet than this one.

1. Why are unions important to me? (maximum 250 words)

2. What have unions done to improve the lives of workers? (maximum (250 words)

3. What are recent examples of union successes in Alberta? (maximum 250 words)

Application Form