Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Upheld By Arbitrator

In an arbitration between the UFCW (the "Union") and Paragon Security (the "Employer"), the Union grieved the Employer's implementation of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy on September 3^rd, 2021 (the "Policy"). The Employer had previously issued a notice to its security guard employees in which they were advised that all employees were to be fully vaccinated by October 31^st, 2021.

The Union asserted that the Policy violated the collective agreement and was unreasonable. In addition, the Union alleged that the Policy violated the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Union argued that with the advent of the Policy, the Provincial Government had compromised a person's right to be free from "an invasive procedure requiring needle injection and a serum to be injected into a person".