A provincial legislator from Windsor wants the government to turn talk about paid sick days into action as COVID-19 cases go up again.
Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky rose Monday in the legislature at Queens Park to question why the Ford government has not moved forward with a plan to offer paid sick days to those dealing with COVID-19 in one form or another, calling the bickering over the issue "shameful".
"Public health experts, nurses, doctors, business owners, mayors, city councillors, essential workers, those of us in the Official Opposition, and the government's own Science Table, have pleaded with this government to pass paid sick day legislation, and to save lives," said Gretzky.
In response, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton rose to say that the government has indeed felt the hardship of essential workers who are concerned about what might happen if they fall ill.
"Workers in the province of Ontario shouldn't have to choose between their health and their job, that's why we've moved decisively to bring in job protective leave," said McNaughton. "If any worker is impacted by COVID-19, if you're a mum or a dad who needs to stay home to take care of the kids because the schools have been closed, you can't be fired for that."
McNaughton brought up the notion made by Premier Doug Ford that it is the federal government that is holding up paid sick days due to gaps in the system, adding that the plan won't work without an able partner.
Gretzky then said that pointing fingers won't solve the problem any faster, telling the story of Birgit, an intensive-care nurse who got COVID-19 last fall and struggled without paid time off.
"Jurisdictional ping-pong doesn't help workers like Birgit and won't save lives," said Gretzky. "Last week, while COVID cases soared among Ontario workers, the Premier made a non-announcement on paid sick leave that left everyone in this province down, yet again."
Ford announced on Thursday that the government was working on a paid sick day plan, but not as a standalone benefit. Instead, it would address holes left by the federal Canada Sickness Recovery Benefit.