thestar.com/news/investiga…
While a few companies received 100k+ tests, some essential workplaces with histories of significant outbreaks didn't receive any, the data we obtained shows.
Ten farms with the largest recorded outbreaks do not appear on the province’s list of rapid test recipients,
Apr 17, 2021 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
I've been a labour reporter for more than 6 years now.
Today I'm thinking about all the people over the years who had the courage to tell us why working conditions in this province matter.
Like Richard Wang, juggling 4 temp agency jobs:
thestar.com/news/canada/20…
Like Angel, who lost his job to go public about the realities of low-wage, precarious work
About waking up at 3 in the morning to haul garbage with no paid sick days
As we await Ford's presser/possible new restrictions, a little workplace outbreak roundup:
Looking at GTA areas where sectoral data is available, manufacturing is single great source.
In Peel: 37 per cent of all outbreaks
In Durham: 23 per cent of all outbreaks
In Toronto, the data is posted in an annoying way, so I'm looking at this week's data alone.
Once again, manufacturing on top - representing around 1/3rd of outbreaks
Apr 16, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
NEW from @OliviaBowden__ and I: The Toronto Transit Commission, Maple Leaf Foods, and UPS are among the employers in COVID hot spots exploring possible workplace vaccination clinics:
Experts are urging a clear framework for prioritizing workplaces at highest risk
“If we don’t have the vaccine going first to the people who need it most, the virus will beat us"
Nov 12, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
NEW: Migrant worker Gabriel Flores Flores has won a rare reprisal case against a Norfolk County farm that fired him after he raised COVID-19 concerns.
It's believed to be the first ruling of its kind in Ontario for migrant farm workers.
thestar.com/news/gta/2020/…
199 migrant workers at Scotlynn Growers tested positive for COVID, including Flores. His bunkmate died. After he raised safety issues, he was fired and told he'd be sent back to Mexico. thestar.com/business/2020/…
Aug 10, 2020 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
NEW: More than a 180 workers at this Toronto industrial bakery got COVID-19. But the public wasn't told.
Why do we know so little about where - and why - workplace outbreaks are happening? @jyangstar and I dig in:
thestar.com/business/2020/…
We found that there is no common definition of a workplace outbreak across the province. Health authorities have no obligation to report them to the public - even though health experts say they can be an important driver of community transmission.
Jul 30, 2020 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
EXCLUSIVE: This migrant worker spoke up about a massive COVID-19 outbreak that killed his bunk mate. Then he was fired and told he would be deported to Mexico, according to legal docs.
thestar.com/business/2020/…
Gabriel Flores Flores spoke to the @TorontoStar in June for an investigation into his employer, Scotlynn Growers, that showed a long history of complaints at the farm.
Later in June, a new complaint to the labour board says he was accused of speaking to the press and terminated.
Jun 23, 2020 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
THREAD: complaints obtained by the Star show a farm at the centre of a massive COVID-19 outbreak had a history of complaints from migrant workers.
Substandard housing was the most common complaint: bedbugs, overcowding, and broken amenities.
Between 2016 and 2018, Scotlynn was the subject of the highest number of complaints made by Mexican workers to their own Ministry of Labour of any Canadian farm.
On Saturday, Scotlynn worker Juan López Chaparro died from COVID-19. He was a 55 year old father of four.
