Last spring, the government stated that
its fiscal plan provides no funding for
employers to provide any compensation increases and that
all employers and employee groups will be expected to do
their part by voluntarily negotiating two year
collective agreements with no net compensation
increases.
Why is the government doing this?
They say it’s to protect public services
and to pay down the deficit. We say it’s to give 2.4
billion dollars in corporate tax breaks that will create
no jobs, reduce funding for health care, education and
other public services and will actually increase the
deficit.
What can you do to fight back?
What can you do to send a message to the
Government that two years with no wage increases is
unacceptable?
Join OPSEU’s “Stop the Wage Freeze”
campaign. Go to the campaign website at
www.stopthewagefreeze.ca . Read
the REAL story behind the government’s wage freeze.
Part of the website includes a Wage Loss
Calculator. By entering your annual salary, you can see
how much you could lose over the next five to ten years
if you had two years of zero percent increases!
We did some calculations and it was
certainly eye-opening! Here’s an example:
A full-time Lab Attendant 2 at $22.85 an
hour earns about $43,027 per year. Even if she receives
a two percent general wage increase every year after two
years with no wage increases, five years later, her
cumulative total income lost is $7,528!
By ten years, she will have lost $15,883!
And this doesn’t just affect her now; it
will continue to affect her for the rest of her working
life at the Agency and ultimately her pension income!
IT’S THE TAKEAWAY THAT KEEPS ON
TAKING!
By pressing the “Take Action Now” button
at the bottom of the Wage Loss
Calculator, you can immediately
send an email to your MPP with the message that 2.4
billion dollars in corporate tax cuts at the expense of
public services is simply bad public policy.
Do your part to fight back by taking the
time to visit the website and fill out the Wage Loss
Calculator. Send a message to your MPP.
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team
Dean Wiley (Chair)
Sabrina Young (Vice Chair)
Ellen Goslin
Nino Lombardi
Mary Morrison
