With more and more essential workers becoming eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, the president of Unifor Local 444 believes it's time auto parts and manufacturing workers be added to the list.
Dave Cassidy says the auto industry has been deemed essential, but has not been given priority when it comes to getting vaccinated.
Cassidy says anyone who can't work from home should be eligible.
"The government has deemed us essential per se, but I continue to say that every worker is essential in my eyes. I know that teachers and others are really screaming for it. This has been going on for some time," he says.
Cassidy says a shortage of vaccines has put the country in this predicament.
"I think it's an epic fail by the federal government. I think that they were asleep at the wheel trying to be ahead of this and especially with manufacturing it here," he says. "If COVID hasn't taught us anything it sure should open people's eyes about procurement of product right here in Canada."
Cassidy says if members want the vaccine, they should be given the opportunity to get it.
"I hope that they're given the choice to have the vaccine if they want. There's different reasons why people couldn't whether it's for health reasons, religious reasons, I would never get involved with that, but the people that could and want to I want to make sure they have the opportunity to get the vaccine," he says.
Cassidy adds that he has reached out to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit on the possibility of hosting pop-up vaccination clinics at local manufacturing plants in an effort to get workers vaccinated quicker.
With files from Rob Hindi