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“I can’t believe the province is allowing public dollars to be spent on hotels and travel expenses for supervisors from Ottawa to work in Peel. All of that money could go into providing better services for children and families." — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President
Ottawa (15 Dec. 2016) — Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) who work at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa are condemning some of their own supervisors for doing the work of striking CUPE members in Peel Region, west of Toronto.
CAS supervisors in Ottawa break picket line to replace striking workers
“The members of OPSEU Local 454 at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa are ashamed that our supervisors are working to prolong the strike at Peel CAS,” says Chrisy Tremblay, an OPSEU Executive Board Member and member of Local 454. “This is a breach of our trust, and a betrayal of hardworking people who just want a fair deal.”
Members of CUPE Local 4914 went on strike at Peel Children’s Aid Society on September 18 over workload and health and safety issues. On December 6, CUPE members rejected a "final offer" from their employer, with 93 per cent saying no to a proposal that included no substantive moves in the workers’ direction.
Public money being spent on strikebreakers rather than on services for families and children
The OPSEU/NUPGE local staged a protest today at the Ottawa offices of the CAS.
“I can’t believe the province is allowing public dollars to be spent on hotels and travel expenses for supervisors from Ottawa to work in Peel,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “All of that money could go into providing better services for children and families."
“We’re calling on management at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa to recall its supervisors immediately and use its influence to get Peel CAS to bargain seriously and end this strike," said Thomas.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 370,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE