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Teachers' Unions Pushing Province to Vaccinate Educators

Monday, 5 April 2021 at 16:10

Two teacher's unions are calling on the Ford government to prioritize the needs of teachers during the pandemic.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association say the province needs to begin vaccinating teachers. 

ETFO President Sam Hammond says that it's vital to begin vaccinating all essential workers as quickly as possible. 

"As medical experts have said, there is no excuse - no valid reason - to not begin vaccinating all essential workers today; this includes all education workers. Failure to do so, with so many available vaccines sitting in freezers, is negligent and dangerous."

The ETFO is calling on the Ford government to make the following moves: 

  • Focus on the hardest-hit regions;
  • Prioritize vaccinations for education workers and all other essential workers;
  • Implement temporary virtual learning in areas where numbers are increasing at alarming rates;
  • Reduce class sizes to ensure two metres of physical distancing; 
  • Fund N95 masks, instead of medical masks, which do little to prevent aerosol spread;
  • Fund improvements to ventilation and air filtration;
  • Ensure broad uptake of COVID-19 testing;
  • Implement paid sick leave; and
  • Provide financial support for families who need it while lockdown measures are in effect.

Earlier today, it was announced that schools in Peel region will go back to online learning tomorrow. 


 

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