An arbitrator has upheld the Toronto District School Board’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, determining determined that the policy did not infringe section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and was a reasonable exercise of management rights.
An arbitrator has made another contribution to the “weight of authority” in Ontario labour arbitration awards pertaining to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in unionized workplaces.
On March 17, 2022, Canada announced that, effective April 1, 2022, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada.
On March 9, 2022, Ontario released a Statement from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and a document called Living with and Managing COVID-19. Both address how Ontario intends to lift COVID-19-related public health and workplace safety measures.
In United Utility Workers’ Association of Canada v Dataco Utility Services Ltd., 2022 CanLII 13414, Arbitrator John Moreau, Q.C., dismissed 11 grievances filed on behalf of 11 service technicians who were suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19.
On February 25, 2022, Ontario filed Regulation 99/22 and Regulation 100/22, which provide that, effective March 1, 2022, all of Ontario will move to the Roadmap Exit Step, as amended.
In Power Workers’ Union v Elexicon Energy Inc., 2022 CanLII 7228 (ON LA), a union challenged the reasonableness of an electricity distribution company’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Ontario has announced that with key public health and health system indicators improving and the peak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 behind us, it will be easing public health measures sooner than anticipated.
