COVID-19 safety concerns as students and staff members returned to in-person learning with less transparency about the virus in schools.Teachers say they’re concerned about lack of information on cases now that the province has cut back on testing and contact tracing, as well as ventilation standards and student mask quality.
They consider individual labour action one of the last options they have to advocate for stronger safety standards in schools — but remain worried that student safety issues are falling through the cracks.
More than 330 Ontario schools report absence rates of 30% or higher “We aren’t organizing or anything. We’re all just fed up,” Fraser-Hamilton said in an interview.People have a right to refuse work they believe is unsafe under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Once reported, the Ministry of Labour dispatches an inspector to look into whether a hazard exists and, if so, what can be done to correct it.