Hundreds of City of Toronto employees face layoff in less than two weeks unless they can prove they have received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Among them is Scarlett Martyn, an advanced care paramedic who has been speaking publicly about her opposition to the city’s strict vaccination mandate.
“I’m sure what awaits me is firing from the city,” said Martyn, a 23-year-old employee and mother of four who has been laid off without pay since Nov. 8. driven down this road “.
Martyn, who has received other vaccinations, believes she has natural protection against COVID-19 detected at work early in the pandemic, wants more time to assess safety, and says she is willing to pay for her own daily tests.
About 100 Toronto paramedics who privately shared their concerns about the mandate have waned, but the holdouts facing layoff are mostly “senior staff,” whose loss could affect the level of care for the service, she says.
Toronto Public Health supports the mandate. Officials there, as many public health experts do, say vaccines are safe and policies are key to protecting people and improving community health by increasing vaccination levels to reduce the spread of the virus in Toronto. .
“Supporting your employees to get vaccinated is the best way to help protect them from COVID-19 risks, prevent workplace outbreaks, and build confidence for a safer return to work while we continue to live with this virus in our community, “Toronto’s chief of public health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said in August.
“That is why I strongly recommend that local employers establish a workplace vaccination policy to protect workers, their families and our communities.”
City workers in Martyn’s position are rare. Less than one percent of the city’s more than 32,000 active employees have not complied with the policy.
Until last Friday, 492 workers were on unpaid suspension, while another 73 were on leave of absence pending review of exemption requests, alleging that their human rights are being violated.
City staff could not say Thursday how many have been vaccinated since then.
For the rest of the employees, time is running out.
The deadline to present proof of vaccination is midnight on January 2. Employees who have not received the vaccine will be fired for cause. Meetings will be scheduled with workers who have received one dose of the vaccine and will be fired if they arrive without proof of a second dose.
The city says it will announce the number of laid off workers on January 5.
CUPE Local 416, which represents workers outside the city, including paramedics, filed a complaint arguing that the penalty of dismissal violates the workers’ collective bargaining agreement.
The union did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Meanwhile, a former Toronto city employee left public service when the city refused to enforce a vaccine mandate for museum visitors.
Dave Healey, a fully vaccinated historical interpreter in the city’s museums, unexpectedly retired after more than 20 years of full and part-time service.
Healey says he expressed concern about encounters with unvaccinated visitors in confined museum spaces. He said he was told that all residents have the right to access city services, including cultural exhibits.
“It’s hypocritical” to force workers to get vaccinated, while putting them in contact with unvaccinated people, says Healy, adding that he supports satff’s vaccination mandate. And, he says, it puts immunosuppressed Toronto residents on the sidelines, unable to safely visit museums.
“You can’t make two sets of rules like that.”
Healey has since landed another job where visitors have to get vaccinated.
Reference-www.thestar.com