Doug Ford Has 'Improved Offer' For CUPE Workers

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the provincial government is ready to stop fighting with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and has an ‘improved offer’ for education workers at the negotiation table at a press conference in Queen’s Park on Tuesday morning.

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Ford declined to speak about what the improved offer was immediately after stating that his government has an offer.

This comes a day after promising to rescind Bill 28 which took away their rights to strike and made it illegal. Ford stated on Monday that he was willing to revoke the bill if CUPE agreed to cease all strike/protest action.

The union agreed to withdraw and is expected to continue negotiations Tuesday morning.

Schools have re-opened for students following a two-day walkout from CUPE workers of roughly 55,000 workers.

CUPE has reportedly been asking for roughly 11.7 per cent wage increase over four years however the latest offer has been around six per cent. Education minister Stephen Leece and MPP Dave Smith have said workers have originally asked for 50 per cent which was deemed ‘unreasonable.’

CUPE can still legally strike but must provide five days’ notice if they wish to do so.

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Peterborough Public Health Provides Guidance to Reduce COVID-19 Spread Schools to Families

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Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough Public Health’s (PPH) medical officer of health has outlined the steps he strongly recommends local school families take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools in a letter released Thursday.

Dr. Thomas Piggott (pictured) became Peterborough Public Health’s medical officer of health on Dec. 1. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health.

“This is a difficult time to be a parent and/or caregiver, and the return to in-person learning is a tough decision to make,” said Dr. Piggott. “I want to assure families that PPH, in partnership with district school boards, is working diligently to ensure protective measures are in place for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in schools.”

The full letter can be read here.

In his letter, Dr. Piggott described the recommendations that were developed for Peterborough County and City schools in consultation with the Provincial Government’s Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. They focused on the following key areas: 

  • Close monitoring of school absenteeism rates, and the results of rapid-antigen tests including those submitted to PPH through this online survey (https://chkmkt.com/RAT21). If indicators demonstrate the spread of COVID-19 exceeds set thresholds, unvaccinated students will be recommended for dismissal for five days to self-isolate. 

  • Submitting rapid-antigen test results (positive or negative) to PPH’s confidential online survey at https://chkmkt.com/RAT21

  • Getting vaccinated with at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine for students aged 5 - 17 years. Second doses are available 56 days (eight weeks) after the first dose. Appointments are available through the provincial booking system https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling for assistance at 1- 833-943-3900.

At all local schools, wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing, completing the daily screening tool and not attending school if students or a household member is symptomatic are key public health measures.

Dr. Piggott also encourages parents and caregivers to watch the webinar entitled “ABCs of Back to In-person Learning” he gave last Thursday answering their frequently asked questions about the reopening of schools to in-person learning.

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Almost Four Million Rapid Antigen Test Delivered to School Boards for Return to In-Person Learning

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The Ontario Government will launch school-based vaccine clinics for youth and staff, along with a significant deployment of 3.9 million rapid antigen tests being shipped to school boards announced on Wednesday.

School boards are being requested to collect information on COVID-19 booster dose coverage for individuals subject to school board immunization disclosure policies, as directed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Screenshot.

These new measures build on the province providing millions of high-quality masks for staff and students and thousands more HEPA filtration units according to the Ontario Government.

“We are meeting the unique challenges presented by the Omicron variant head-on as we do everything we can to support in-person learning,” said Stephen Lecce, minister of education. “Our government is taking nothing for granted, which is why we are launching school-based vaccination clinics, distributing millions of rapid antigen tests and have deployed non-fit-tested N95 masks to staff and three-ply masks to students.”

Vaccination is the province’s best defence against the highly transmissible Omicron variant as stated by the provincial government. Current vaccination rates among children aged 12 to 17 years old are encouraging with more than 82 per cent having received two doses.

Of children aged five to 11 years old, nearly 50 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but more can be done to encourage and support vaccination, which is why Ontario will launch school-based vaccine clinics when students return to in-person learning.

To further encourage voluntary vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, the government has asked school boards to work with local Public Health Units (PHUs) to add school-day vaccination clinics for students (i.e. during instructional hours).

School boards are also expected to work with local PHUs and share documents and other information with families, such as resources available at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-children-and-youth.

In the coming days, parents will receive a form offering the opportunity to safely and conveniently provide public health units the authority to vaccinate their children at a school-based vaccine clinic.

To help stabilize workforce and student participation, beginning the week of Jan. 17, the Ontario Government will also provide rapid antigen tests for students and staff in public elementary and secondary schools, along with children and staff in child care settings.

Over 3.9 million rapid antigen tests are being shipped to school boards this week, with additional tests to be delivered next week. The use of the tests is for symptomatic individuals, who will be required to take two rapid tests 24 hours apart and upon negative results can return to class.

Additional measures in place to prepare for the return to in-person learning include the following:

  • High-Quality Masks: Providing access to more than 10 million non-fit-tested N95 masks to all education and child care staff – the only province to do so – with more than four million three-ply cloth masks for students recently shipped for use in schools.

  • Improved Ventilation: Deploying an additional 3,000 standalone HEPA filter units to learning environments, building on the ventilation improvement measures already in place at every school across Ontario including the more than 70,000 HEPA filter units and other ventilation devices that have been provided and mechanical ventilation upgrades.

  • Stricter Screening: Updated and stricter screening requirements for students and staff including daily onsite confirmation of screening.

  • Historic Funding: School board access to $1.6 billion in resources to protect against COVID-19, including supports for mental health, technology, over 2,350 additional staff and ventilation.

  • Access to Additional Educators: Access to retired educators for a longer period of time following a recent agreement with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, and access to first-year teacher candidates who are deemed eligible.

  • Enhanced Cohorting and Cleaning: New time-limited cohorting protocols to limit direct and indirect contacts by pausing high-contact extracurricular sports, stricter lunch cohort requirements, and elevated cleaning requirements at all schools.

To further support staffing stability and reduce disruption for students, families, and education and child care staff, the government is further expanding access to vaccines by:

  • Supporting a mass vaccination clinic at the International Centre with dedicated times for education and child care staff

  • Opening 10 vaccination clinics across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that offer dedicated time slots for education and child care staff

  • Encouraging public health units to support accelerated access to boosters.

More than five million Ontarians have already received a booster shot and the above vaccination options are in addition to those also being offered locally by public health units across the province.

With these measures in place — including new testing options and expanded access to vaccination — and continuous improvement to ventilation, the Ontario government is supporting access to in-person learning with greater stability for students and families. Remote learning will remain an option for those families wishing to access it.

“In-person learning is critical to the mental health and well-being of our children and youth,” said Dr. Moore. “In light of the unique challenges posed by the Omicron variant, my team and I will continue to work with the education sector to review all of our guidelines and all environmental, health, cleaning, and ventilation standards to ensure our schools remain as safe as possible for all.”

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Amazing School Spirit (And Solidarity) Was Displayed At Yesterday's Terrry Fox Run

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