Uneven Protection at Work During COVID-19: Union Voice, Paid Sick Leave and Safety Regimes in Ontario

Using the employed subsample of a broader Ontario-wide online survey, this article compares union and non-union experiences of COVID-19 safety in 2020. We examine infection control, paid time off, anxiety, and awareness of union advocacy, using this non-probability sample for analytic generalization rather than population estimates. In this sample, union-covered respondents more often reported visible ventilation and filtration, referenced joint committees or designated representatives in their accounts, and reported more usable paid sick leave, while stress and anxiety were high in both groups, and differences by union coverage were small within this sample. We discuss what these patterns suggest for unions, employers, and policy as temporary COVID-19 leave has ended and long-term protections are debated.