The head of a local teachers union wants to know why some teachers and education workers in Ontario are getting vaccinated, but not here in Windsor-Essex.
Mario Spagnuolo is president of the Greater Essex Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.
Spagnuolo tells The Afternoon News he's concerned that there are different rules in different regions.
"The Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph public health units had started vaccinating adults over 60 years old as well as staff that work in congregated settings," he says. "That included teachers and education workers."
He confirms several regions have already vaccinated education workers.
"Fifteen-hundred educators who work with special needs being vaccinated in both the Niagara Catholic Board and Niagara public board," he says. "We're asking, can this not occur in the Windsor-Essex area as it's occurring in other areas."
Teachers and educational staff who work with special needs are always in the classroom, according to Spagnuolo.
"Those students, most of them cannot wear a mask for medical reasons," he says. "If this happens again, [another COVID-19 outbreak] where we have to shift to remote learning and those classrooms remain open, those education workers and kids are left in a very vulnerable position."
Spagnuolo says the federation hopes to open a dialogue with municipal and provincial officials to make it clear education workers need to be vaccinated before June.
— with files from am800's Patty Handysides.