Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and MPP for Guelph, announced a motion for a comprehensive safe workplaces plan, including calls for 10 provincially paid sick days, rapid testing, proper PPE for workplaces and a clear vaccine roll-out plan for essential workers.
“The data is clear,” the GPO Leader stated. “Communities with the most essential workers have three times more daily confirmed cases than communities with the least.”
Schreiner stressed the importance of protecting Ontario’s workers and emphasized that “the only way we can keep our families and schools safe, our communities and economy open is by prioritizing safe workplaces.”
He also pointed to the systemic nature of the issue, highlighting that workplace safety was a serious concern long before the pandemic hit, and one that disproportionately affects racialized and marginalized communities.“The COVID-19 public health crisis has only exacerbated this issue and the government cannot afford to ignore it any longer. “
Schreiner concluded his remarks by calling on Premier Ford to urgently use the tools at his disposal to protect Ontario’s workers so we can keep our communities safe.
source: media release, GPO
photo: Workers Action Centre