Thread by @ColinDMello

Unionized investigators tasked with probing long-term care homes refused to enter infected facilities in early April, according to government sources.

The gov't acknowledges that under labour laws the inspectors have the right to refuse work.

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The government had high-level discussion with the union to get them to resume in-person inspections rather than telephone inspections.

On April 22, OPSEU sent a letter to Premier Ford calling the request "ill advised."

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OPSEU stated that the in-person inspections were unnecessary and has "zero value" because the government already knows about elder abuse.

"We already know they are not [being treated properly]," wrote Smokey Thomas. "Senior bureaucrats know it too."

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Thomas called on the government to send in more staff, and medical infrastructure to help employees deal with the problems in LTC.

The same day the letter was sent, the Premier called in the military.

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To be clear: The government says even if the inspectors physically entered LTC homes, they may not have caught the issues that were detailed in the CAF report.

One reason: Can Age, an advocacy group, says the Ford gov't "rolled back" the inspection process.

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Can Age says "large, comprehensive inspections" that the public would expect were stopped by the government in 2019 -- and says no one should be shocked by what the CAF detailed.

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