Union urges feds not to let bedbugs bite

Pesky critters hanging out in some federal office buildings

OTTAWA — A fourth federal government office building is being treated for bedbugs, and while Public Services and Procurement Canada says the problem remains low-level, one union says it has the potential to cause bigger trouble.

Workers at 22 Eddy St. in Gatineau were working from home Thursday.

“From what I’ve been told, it’s only on the eighth floor that they have found some (bedbugs),” said Eddy Bourque of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

“But as we’ve seen with the workplace on Crémazie, they thought it was just one floor and when they did testing it was found on every single floor. So, I think this is bringing awareness” of the problem.

“It seems like we’re seeing a trend here and I know in Montreal it’s the same thing.”

The bugs can hitch a ride in a handbag or on someone’s clothing and travel to the employee’s home, he said. The union wants their employer to pay for cases where a worker’s home is contaminated after exposure at work.

“It’s a concern for the health and safety of the members.”

PSPC wrote to say “a small number” of bugs were discovered at one site on Tuesday, adding: “Immediate action was taken that same evening and included specialized removal of affected office equipment, specialized inspection of work stations and common areas, steam cleaning of affected and adjacent work stations and installation of specialized traps. On October 25, the pest control company will proceed with treatment of the entire floor where the bed bugs were discovered. Employees of the affected workstations area have been asked by their employer, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), to work from home until the situation has been resolved. The pest control specialists have implemented measures that are allowing continued occupation of the rest of the building.”

Three other government office building were recently affected by bedbugs.

Bedbugs are good at hiding in carpets, upholstery and dark corners.

They come out at night and bite people as they sleep. The bites do not cause disease but can become itchy or sore. Extreme cases can cause significant blood loss.

Ottawa Public Health has extensive information on bedbugs online.