In 2018. After first in 2015.
[Vaccinate or Mask (VOM)]… policies force nurses and other health-care workers to wear an unfitted surgical mask for the entirety of their shift if they choose not to receive the influenza vaccine.
After reviewing extensive expert evidence… Arbitrator William Kaplan, in his September 6 decision, found that St. Michael’s VOM policy is “illogical and makes no sense” and “is the exact opposite of being reasonable.” In reaching this conclusion, Arbitrator Kaplan rejected the hospital’s evidence. A copy of the full decision is available here…
This is the second such win for ONA.1Ontario Nurses Association In 2015, Arbitrator James Hayes struck down the same type of policy in an arbitration that included other Ontario hospitals … Hayes found there was “scant evidence” that forcing nurses to use masks reduced the transmission of influenza to patients. Despite this clear ruling, the majority of TAHSN hospitals refused to follow the Hayes award and maintained their respective VOM policies. As a result, ONA was forced to litigate this matter again at St. Michael’s Hospital.
Newswire.ca (Sept 7, 2018)2Earliest archive I found: Nov 2020 here and here.
Then SARS-CoV-2 came along late 2019
It tool a few months, but from around Easter 2020, the same masks that hadn’t worked for influenza were brilliant at preventing COVID-19 transmission.
The ScienceTM must have changed.
(Or are we being gaslit and taken for fools?!)
- 1Ontario Nurses Association
- 2