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Town council approves mandatory vaccination policy

Unions concerned about termination threat for employees unwilling to get the shots
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From bus drivers to engineers to gardeners, all town staff must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 31 or face an unpaid leave of absence and possible dismissal.

Despite hearing opposition from union groups representing at least half of the town’s employees, councillors voted unanimously in favour of the mandatory vaccination policy at a special meeting on Sept. 13.

The policy will require everyone who works for the town on a full-time, part-time, seasonal, temporary or contract basis, as well as town councillors, to demonstrate that they have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Accommodations will be made for employees who have medical or human rights grounds that prevent vaccination.

But the union representing several hundred of the town’s parks, recreation and road employees says it will be hiring a labour lawyer for advice.

Peter Knafelc, president of CUPE Local 136, said his members want to be able to opt-out of the vaccine and instead undergo regular testing, as is being allowed for staff in Burlington and even provincial health care workers.

He also questioned where the concept of mandatory vaccination would end and if town staff would be forced to submit to booster shots or even the seasonal flu shot some day.

“CUPE said they would like their members vaccinated, but it still should be a choice for every CUPE member whether they want to get vaccinated or want to go the route of rapid antigen tests like every other community around Oakville,” said Knafelc.

Chris Clapham, president of CUPE Local 1329, which represents Oakville office employees, agreed that rapid testing should be offered on an ongoing basis for staff unwilling to be vaccinated.

“Having an ultimatum that would potentially result in termination is not something that I can support,” he said.

Oakville’s CAO Jane Clohecy said town staff are required to abide by all policies or face termination, and this one is no different.

“We’re not going to move immediately to termination, absolutely not,” she said. “We’ll look for every opportunity we can to move to a vaccination, but at some point, it will have to end, and that’s why the wording is in the policy.”

Councillors also heard from three other delegates who spoke strongly against the mandatory vaccines, including one woman who identified herself as an unvaccinated crossing guard for the town.

“I work outside, I wear an N95 mask, I chalk six feet, so I am so careful,” said Lydia Goosik. “It’s just ridiculous that somebody would lose their job.”

The newly approved policy will require town staff to disclose their vaccination status by next Monday. Anyone not fully vaccinated will undergo rapid testing two to three times a week until the Oct. 31 deadline.

The town will also require proof of vaccination to use town facilities, in conjunction with provincial rules coming into effect on Sept. 22.

“It’s the town’s intent to ensure that all our recreation and cultural facilities, as well as our public meeting spaces such as at town hall, will require that all visitors be fully vaccinated,” said Clohecy.

On Sept. 1, the provincial government announced that proof of vaccination would be required to access restaurants, gyms and other non-essential spaces in Ontario but has yet to release regulations outlining exactly how those new rules will work.

Oakville Transit is considered essential, so mandatory vaccination will not be required to ride the buses.

'A privilege to work in the public sector'

In voting for the policy, Ward 1 councillor Sean O’Meara said it is a privilege to work in the public sector and that many people, including his children, aren’t eligible to receive the vaccine.

“One common theme I did not hear from a single delegates tonight was ‘What about the other people in our society?’ It was “Me, me, me and my rights and my rights and my rights,’ and not a single mention of ‘What’s my duty to my next-door neighbour, to my colleagues, to my friends?’”

The town is hiring Neptune Security Services to screen people for proof of vaccination at its facilities at a cost of about $25,000 per week.

Despite public polls that indicate broad support for mandatory vaccination, the report from town staff says, “it is likely that unvaccinated users will argue they have the right to access town services as taxpayers.” Hiring the security company is a “temporary precaution” to avoid placing town staff in “a potentially highly charged situation.”

The town is also estimating it will spend about $100,000 on rapid tests for staff not fully vaccinated between now and Oct. 31.


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