On March 26, 2019, the University of Toronto Administration released both the Report of the Panel to Review the Asbestos Management Program at the University of Toronto and the Administration's response to that Report. The Administration appears to have had the Report for more than a month before releasing it along with a response.
The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) is alarmed by the University of Toronto Administration's inaction and inadequate response to the Report on the handling of asbestos management, years after asbestos contamination in the University's Medical Sciences Building (MSB) raised serious questions about the risk of asbestos exposure at U of T. Asbestos can pose serious health dangers and, while the Review Panel's Report does not come close to fully addressing the problem of asbestos at the University, the Administration must at least act on the recommendations made by its own Review Panel in the Report to protect the health and safety of members of the University campus community.
University of Toronto Faculty Association (U.T.F.A.), C.U.P.E. 3902, the United Steelworkers 1998 (U.S.W.) and other unions and organizations on campus are preparing a media scrum at The University of Toronto's St. George Campus. It will take place on Thursday, April 18th, from 11am-12pm, in the Committees Room of Hart House. Speakers will include Jess Taylor, Chair of C.U.P.E 3902, a representative from U.S.W. 1998, and Terezia Zoric, Vice-President of U.T.F.A. This media scrum will communicate our shared concerns about the Panel's findings and design and urge the University to take more serious measures to improve its Asbestos Management Program.