A recent article outlines a case of 13 Toronto Firefighters who were fired for noncompliance with the city’s vaccine policy.

A labour arbitrator, Derek Rogers, ruled in favour of the employees stating that the city’s enforcement of its policy, as one of release as an only option, was not reasonable and that other steps could have been taken that did not include disciplining and firing these workers, yet still accomplish the required safety for staff and public.

By January of 2022 the city of Toronto had fired 461 employees, across all divisions, for exercising their right to bodily autonomy and nondisclosure.

The TPFFA union’s lawyer, Howard Goldblatt, who represented these firefighters, believes this is a ‘significant step’ and that it sets a precedence for the numerous other similar cases. He agrees that having dismissal as a sole option was unreasonable.

Although this is most definitely a success story, with the potential for far-reaching influence, the idea of a vaccine policy was still supported. The city of Toronto still sites vaccination as the most reliable means of protection against COVID-19, regardless of the mounting data that clearly shows otherwise. Nonetheless, these workers are being reinstated and the fight for our rights as defined within the Charter will continue.

Please continue to stand with us in support of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To read The Star article written by Christine Dobby, click here