Toronto sets January date for city workers to return to the office, amid rising COVID-19 cases, Omicron uncertainty and delays in opening bars
Rising case counts, and pressure from the Ontario government, prompted the province to suspend the office at the beginning of March
Workers will now return to the office
The Ministry of Labour is now in charge of the office
The move is expected to increase public pressure on the government to open bars and restaurants in Ontario in advance of the Ontario election set for April 9
“It’s not a matter of how much it costs to run the office, we just don’t have the money to run it. We’re running on a shoestring and we don’t have enough staff working for us.” Councillor John Campbell tells Metro.ca
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) closed its office at the end of March, with the decision made in the face of rising COVID-19 cases and public concerns about the safety of those who work at the site.
“The TDSB has to balance the need for social distancing and safety with the safety of those that work there. They’ve had to come to the conclusion of not opening the office while there is a need for it for public health,” said spokesperson Kerry Campbell.
On Sunday, the Toronto Firefighters Union (TFU) issued a statement in support of the TDSB’s decision.
“Our union believes in the well-being of all people, and is supportive of the TDSB’s decision to make sure people are safe in their homes. We believe a safe work environment for all is the best way to support public health and the safety of our hard-working city residents and paramedics. We do believe that any decision to not open the TDSB office to minimize the exposure of employees to COVID-19 should be reviewed by the province,” said union president Mike McKelvey.
This comes as the OPG announced they were taking it upon themselves to open the new Oakville location in Toronto.
“OPG is fully committed to helping the TDSB and the City of Toronto,” said