Skip to main content
You are the owner of this article.
You have permission to edit this article.
Edit
Star Exclusive

Many Ontario workers are trying to refuse work due to COVID-19 fears — but the government isn’t letting them

Critics say work stoppages are “not being taken seriously,” and that inspectors are being “handcuffed” by a new internal body overseeing enforcement efforts.

5 min to read
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
ttc_bus_drivers_3

In April, 38 TTC bus drivers refused work citing mask scarcity and other safety concerns. The ministry did not uphold the work refusal.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, workers who fear contracting the virus have filed more than 200 work refusals. But the Ontario Ministry of Labour has not upheld a single one, after quietly establishing an internal committee to oversee inspectors’ enforcement efforts during the pandemic, the Star has learned.

Work refusals in Ontario spiked to a high point in mid-March, when there were 83 in a single week. It’s a significant increase from January and February, when the province averaged less than four work refusals a week according to ministry data.

warren_smokey_thomas

Ontario Public Service Employees Union President Warren "Smokey" Thomas.

bus_mask

A TTC bus driver wears a mask and gloves while going about her route in Toronto on March 20.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Sara Mojtehedzadeh

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a Toronto-based reporter covering work and wealth on the Star’s investigations team. Follow her on Twitter: @saramojtehedz.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free).

To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.

Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the Community Guidelines. Toronto Star does not endorse these opinions.

More from The Star & partners