UFCW Canada Local 333, Ontario’s union for security guards, is fighting for forgotten frontline workers in the province’s security industry. Our union is asking the Government of Ontario to protect the health and safety of security workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic by prioritizing security guards on the province's COVID-19 vaccination list.
Since day one of the pandemic, security guards have been working hard to protect the Ontario public in hospitals, long-term care (LTC) homes, grocery stores, liquor stores, shopping malls, and residential condominiums. Despite their essential work and consistent exposure to the public, however, the province has forgotten security guards when prioritizing eligibility and timelines for vaccination against COVID-19.
In January of this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared he would contract security guards to provide safety and security to residents and staff at LTC homes in the province. But it seems that he neglected to consider vaccinating these workers. By and large, security guards are contracted to work in care homes, most retail stores, funeral homes, hospitals, and other government facilities. And they should not be overlooked when prioritizing frontline workers for the coronavirus vaccine.
Canada’s federal government has also contracted security guards in Ontario to investigate and enforce COVID-19 quarantine rules for Canadians required to quarantine. These guards will be doing home checks to ensure compliance, yet the Government of Ontario is ignoring these workers when it comes to prioritization for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Tell Doug Ford that now is the time to recognize security guards as essential frontline workers. Send a message to the Ford government asking the province to Vaccinate Security Guards! to keep security workers, and the public they serve, healthy and safe during COVID-19.
#VaccinateSecurityGuards
Toronto, ON – January 12, 2021 – A new year means a new look for UFCW’s long-running e-newsletter Directions. The award-winning publication will now serve its online audience with a new issue every Wednesday in their official language preference.
Please select your preferred language: English or French.
“As one of Canada’s leading forces for progressive change, UFCW Canada is always looking for better and more convenient ways to distribute the information that matters most to members and community allies,” says National President, Paul Meinema. “In today’s news environment where truth is sadly a matter of opinion, and not fact, Directions strives to support the many progressive voices advocating for change but seldomly heard.”
Since Directions was first launched nearly 20 years ago, the national news service has seen many iterations and is now a widely consumed e-newsletter that shares information from a trade-union perspective.
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