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Ontario Post-Secondary Education Workers Demand Protection for Workers and StudentsCanadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals representing some of the 30,000 support and academic workers on Ontario post-secondary campuses held a press conference on September 23 to demand action by government and universities and colleges to protect workers and students.
Just days before the opening of post-secondary institutions, in response to a request for an exemption from the Council of Ontario Universities, the province removed the Step Three guidelines for in-class instruction at universities and colleges. Workers and their unions are demanding that their health and safety and that of the students be the determining factor, not the stand of the Council, which they deem to be self-serving. Exemption from the Step Three restrictions means that classes have resumed with virtually no restrictions and without measures for enhanced cleaning or ventilation or the option of working remotely.
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The province of Ontario is currently under Step Three reopening
guidelines. For the post-secondary sector, according to the government
website, Step Three requires "indoor capacity in each instructional space
limited to permit two metres physical distancing up to 50 per cent or
1,000 students, whichever is less,... physical distance of at least two
metres
between every other person must be maintained, except when necessary
for teaching or instruction." There are also restrictions on outdoor
capacity.