Initial requests to pay for sick days hit a rubber wall. Then, last week, the Ontario government hinted that it would implement some sort of economic support. “It will be the best program in all of North America, no one excluded,” Premier Ford promised gloatingly. Yesterday, however, the government pulled the brakes: the plan to improve paid sick leave in the province provides for the integration of payments already offered to workers through the federal government’s sickness benefit program. But Prime Minister Trudeau said yesterday that the solution must involve employers instead.

It was during the Question Period in the Ontario Legislature that Labor Minister Mount McNaughton confirmed the news that the province has contacted the federal government and proposed a plan to improve Ottawa’s Canada Recovery and Sickness Benefit (CRSB). “We call on the federal government to double payments from $500 to $1,000 for four weeks of paid sick days,” McNaughton said, “the province of Ontario will cover 100 percent of the cost of doubling this program. Like British Columbia, we ask the federal government to be our partner to ensure that workers, not just in Ontario, but across the country, are paid more than the minimum wage.”

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath wasted no time in attacking the government’s proposal: “It’s been about five days since the premier of this province promised the best-paid sick day program across North America – Horwath said – now we find out from the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail that instead of passing legislation here in this chamber that would actually bring paid sick days to Ontario workers, this government wants to get behind the malfunctioning federal system for workers.”

The NDP leader pointed the finger at Ford and his government that on 25 occasions voted against the motions and legislation on paid sick days tabled by members of the opposition. “Workers are dying, people are dying in this province and paid sick days can help save lives – said Andrea Horwath – we all know that. We also know that the federal program simply doesn’t work.”

Public health experts, including members of the Science Advisory Table and local health officials, have talked about the need for a provincial program beyond the federal government’s Canada Recovery and Sickness Benefit (CRSB). Workplace epidemics have been a major source of infection in the province, and experts have repeatedly warned that the situation will not improve until workers have better access to paid sick days. The government’s unwillingness to approve paid sick leave goes back in time: the elimination of a paid sick days program introduced by the previous provincial Liberal government was one of the first decisions made since taking office in 2018.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would prefer the province to find a way with employers to provide workers directly with paid leave if they have symptoms, a positive Covid-19 test, or the need to observe quarantine. “One of the most efficient ways to do this is obviously through employers as we have done in federally regulated workplaces, and I know that the deputy prime minister is working directly with the province of Ontario to ensure that the right supports reach people as quickly as possible – Trudeau said – provinces need to find a way to do it directly through employers, which the federal government can’t do.”

Ontario Attorney General Sylvia Jones says the federal program needs to be improved rather than paid sick days legislated at the provincial level. “We were rather disappointed that no improvements were made during the federal budget last week,” she said, “We ask the federal government to do the right thing because it’s a national issue, we encourage them to make the changes so we can have a better system.”