The fight over paid sick leave
As the third wave dominates ICUs across the country, this week Ontario and B.C. each finally announced the introduction of, at least some, mandated paid sick leave. But the urgent call remains in other provinces. So why is it such a fight to get it? CBC senior writer Aaron Wherry explains.
For months, health-care experts and workers' advocates have been raising alarm bells, saying the dire need for paid sick days has been growing ever since the very beginning of the pandemic.
This week, it all came to a head when Ontario asked Ottawa to piggyback on a federal program and introduced a bill for temporary access to three paid sick days for workers in the province. B.C. also announced it would bring in its own program.
CBC senior writer Aaron Wherry has been following this story. Today, he reports on the latest, explains why some provinces still haven't budged at all, and shares his thoughts about what the fight over mandated sick pay says about Canada's pandemic response.