Halton’s mayors urge “immediate” action on sick leave as province looks to Ottawa

The mayors and regional chair of Halton Region are renewing their calls for the province to implement a paid sick-leave program.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the group again called for the province to act. This is the third time they’ve called for a paid sick leave program in three months.

“We urge immediate action. The lives of our residents are at-risk,” said the statement.

“We will not kick COVID-19 to the curb without protecting our essential workers and their families.”

Paid sick leave was one of the recommendations put out by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table on Apr. 20.

During previous calls for a provincial paid sick leave program amid the pandemic, the province pointed to the federal program, known as the Federal Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

Last week, Premier Doug Ford, who was in isolation after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19 promised a strong sick leave program to protect workers amid mounting criticism.

This week, the province said it wanted to top up the existing federal program to deliver on that promise.

READ MORE: Ontario proposes paid sick days by enhancing the Federal sick-leave benefit

“This is now in the hands of the provincial government. It does no good to our community to see sick leave passed between levels of government like a hot potato,” said the statement from Halton’s mayors.

“We are asking the Province to do what is fully within your powers and act now on paid sick leave.”