A $170 million class action lawsuit, led by nurse Lisa Wolfs and the United Health Care Workers of Ontario (UHCWO), targets the Ontario government and Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The lawsuit focuses on Directive 6 – a vaccine mandate implemented in 2021 – which compelled healthcare workers to vaccinate, disclose medical status, or face termination. The lawsuit argues against this directive as a violation of individual rights, informed consent, and privacy, seeking justice for thousands of workers while aiming to deter future coercive policies.

The suit alleges negligence, misfeasance in public office, tortious inducement to breach contract, and privacy violations, seeking $170 million in damages: $50 million for pain and suffering, $50 million for misfeasance, $20 million for breach of contract, and $50 million in punitive damages.

Lead plaintiff Lisa Wolfs, a nurse educator with 16 years of exemplary experience, was fired in August 2022 from London Health Sciences Centre for refusing vaccination. She claims the mandate breached her employment contract.

Central to the case is Health Canada’s vaccine monographs (inserts) for Pfizer’s Comirnaty and Moderna’s Spikevax, which do include claims of preventing Covid-19 transmission, contradicting the government’s justification that mandates ensured workplace safety. The lawsuit cites the absence of long-term safety data in 2021 and references a 2024 Brazilian study suggesting doubled long-term mortality risks for vaccinated individuals. These points fuel claims that Dr. Moore acted recklessly, coercing workers into medical interventions without robust evidence while undermining informed consent—a bedrock of medical ethics.

The UHCWO champions the lawsuit as a defense of healthcare workers’ autonomy. “These mandates stripped away the right to make personal medical choices,” said a UHCWO spokesperson. “Evidence that vaccines didn’t stop transmission and carried risks was ignored, punishing workers for prioritizing bodily autonomy.”

The case addresses forced medical disclosures, privacy violations, and the economic and emotional harm from terminations, unpaid leaves, and coerced retirements.

At this time, the lawsuit awaits class action certification, a lengthy but important first step. Once certified, it could encompass “thousands or tens of thousands” of unionized healthcare workers—vaccinated or not—affected by Directive 6.

In preparation, the UHCWO is crowdfunding to cover potential court costs, protecting Wolfs and other plaintiffs from financial risk. The UHCWO calls on workers to join the class action and support crowdfunding on their website linked below. “This fight ensures no worker faces such coercion again,” the spokesperson said.

This lawsuit aligns fully with the multitude of other cases we’ve seen recently. However, the focused arguments of this case enhance its prospects and provide hope for setting a precedent for future workplace mandates, in favour of the safety and security of the individual rights of each employee.

Canadians are finding their outrage and applying it as fuel to their voices against the erosion of their rights. We stand with all who do, and look forward to the momentum of truth and support for our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To read the Statement of Claim, click here 

To read more from the United Healthcare Workers of Ontario and visit their website, click here