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Ontario Public Service workers welcome MPPs return to session

Ontario public sector workers gather at Queen's Park to demand that the province negotiate a fair collective agreement.

  
Some pictures from Rankandfile.ca

Toronto (18 Feb. 2015) — Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) President Warren (Smokey) Thomas was joined by the leaders of major Ontario public sector unions at a rally at Queen’s Park to demand the Liberal government negotiate a fair contract with 35,000 ministry employees. Protesters welcomed the Members of the Provincial Parliament back to the legislature the morning of February 17, 2015.

What could you do with 8.2?

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said that every day in Ontario public service workers try to provide the vital services every Ontarian relies upon despite an environment of dwindling resources, staff cuts and increasing workloads.

“Premier Kathleen Wynne is determined to continue to slash more public sector jobs and services, while at the same time she is wasting billions on private contracts,” Thomas said. “We’re asking the people of Ontario, ‘What could you do with 8.2,?’ in reference to the $8.2 billion tax dollars, and climbing, that this government has needlessly thrown away.”

Public sector workers better than private contractors

Thomas said that it is proven that public sector workers do the work better, cheaper and fairer than private contractors. “These wasted billions are gone,” Thomas said. “Just imagine what $8.2 billion could have done to improve public services in Ontario. Instead, it is now lining the pockets of private companies hand-picked by the Liberal government.”

Thomas said the government needs to start negotiating a fair collective agreement that will actually save taxpayers' money and support public sector work by public sector workers. “Our collective agreement is the only thing protecting public services in this province,” Thomas said. “We have a Five-Point Plan that would provide for transparency and public oversight on public sector private contracts. But the government refuses to even consider it.”

OPSEU represents all front-line ministry employees who work directly for the Ontario government. The current collective agreement expired Dec. 31, 2014.

Broad representation of speakers

Guest speakers at the rally included

  • Dave Bulmer, President, The Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO)
  • Fred Hahn, President, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario
  • Linda Haslam-Stroud, President, Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA)
  • Ping Wu, President, Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO)
  • John Cartwright, President, Toronto & York Region Labour Council.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 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