York South—Weston MPP calls for paid sick days to protect workers in his riding

YORK SOUTH—WESTON — NDP MPP Faisal Hassan said the Ford government must grant paid sick days to workers so they have the option to stay home when they’re unwell.

“I have heard from countless community members and families concerned by the lack of paid sick days in Ontario. York South—Weston is home to many of the front-line heroes Doug Ford often praises, but isn’t helping with paid sick days. These essential workers are employed in the service industry, health care, manufacturing, and retail, often working lower wage jobs and having to travel between part-time jobs on crowded transit just to make ends meet,” Hassan said.

“Many are people of colour, women and young workers. When they feel ill, they have to choose between taking an unpaid sick day and suffering further financial setback; or going to work not feeling well, potentially spreading COVID-19. Through their work and public transit travel these essential workers and their loved ones are exposed to a greater risk of COVID-19.”

Andrea Horwath and the NDP have been urging the Ford government to provide Ontarians with meaningful supports to make this lockdown count, rather than simply a stay-at-home order rife with contradictory loopholes and exemptions.

Hassan and the NDP continue to fight for additional measures such as direct financial support for small business owners when they pause operations, more self-isolation centres, a clear ban on all evictions, a pause on non-essential travel between regions, and more testing and tracing capacity invested in workplaces and hot-spot neighbourhoods.