In Ontario, the staff at both the central and regional public health laboratories have been called upon repeatedly in crises over the past decade to perform massive test volumes rapidly for Public Health Units and health care providers. SARS, West Nile, and tuberculosis in Toronto’s hostel system are but a few examples. The ability to rise to these challenges reflects the tremendous effort and dedication of the professional and technical staff within the public health laboratory, not withstanding the chronic and increasingly urgent need to stabilize and strengthen these facilities. Dr. Sheela Basrur, Chief Medical Officer of Health, 20051 April 9, 2021 Via email:
[email protected] Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy President Treasury Board Secretariat Whitney Block, Room 4320, 4th Floor 99 Wellesley St. W Toronto, ON M7A 1W3 Dear Hon. Bethlenfalvy, Re: Exemption under the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 for the bargaining unit at Public Health Ontario We write today to respectfully request an exemption for Public Health Ontario (PHO) and OPSEU in accordance with s. 27 of the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019 (the “Act” or “Bill 124”). 1 Basrur SV. Building the foundation of a strong public health system for Ontarians: 2005 annual report of the Chief Medical Officer of Health to the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Toronto, Ont.: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; 2005. Without an exemption, PHO, as an agency under the Crown, is subject to the compensation limits dictated by the Act. An exemption would allow the parties to bargain above 1% total compensation in each year—something that is absolutely vital to maintaining the PHO workforce relative to other major employers of laboratory professionals in the province.