Vaughan becomes the first large municipality to issue layoffs

Bayobserver.ca
August 12, 2020

Whether or not it will trigger a series of such moves elsewhere in the province, Vaughan has become the first larger Ontario municipality to lay off a large number of full-time workers. The City announced that it “temporarily” laid off about 1,100 employees due to “shortage of work in some departments”

After these “extraordinary circumstances,” the City said the decision was “difficult but necessary.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic and declared State of Emergency in Vaughan and the Province of Ontario have impacted City services in a number of unexpected ways, including the temporary closure of City facilities to the public and the cancellation of some programs,” it said.

While the City continues to conduct essential services including fire and emergency response, waste collection, water andwastewater services, to bylaw and enforcement services, it says, “As this situation evolves, it will be necessary for the City to continue assessing the operational and financial impacts of these unprecedented times.”

On Aug. 5, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said that most of Vaughan’s facilities, including city hall, will remain closed to the public until Jan. 4, 2021, and “potentially beyond.”