Ford must prioritize warehouse workers’ safety

February 4, 2021

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner released the following statement regarding Ford’s continued disregard for warehouse worker safety:

“To keep our schools safe we need to tackle community transmission of the COVID-19 virus. And that includes preventing outbreaks in warehouses.

The Premier’s complete disregard for the need to protect warehouse workers is astonishing.

These workers play a crucial role in ensuring Ontarians are able to put food on the table and access basic needs.

The most recent modelling data is clear: communities with the most essential workers have three times more daily confirmed cases than communities with the least. And just this week, the UK variant was found at an outbreak in a Belmont Foods facility.

Waiting for vaccines is not a plan.

The government continues to sit on millions of rapid tests while outbreaks run rampant in our communities. The truth is there are tools the Premier can still utilize while Ontario waits for more vaccines.

We can deploy rapid tests in our warehouses, increase inspections, implement paid sick days and develop a robust vaccination plan so when the vaccines become available they can be deployed immediately.

By protecting our workers we can keep our communities, our schools, and our long term care homes safer.

We need safe workplaces now.”
 
 
 

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