By Bryn Weese -
http://www.nugget.ca
Eric Morin, OPSEU Local 635 president, watches
the gasoline pump as his sale reached $33.50.
The union raised the funds through a bake sale
Thursday to protest cuts to the ministry's
budget.
Armed with $33.50 in bake sale money, a handful
of Ministry of Natural Resources employees met
Friday at Barry's Shell on Trout Lake Road to
invest their earnings in fuel for a work truck.
Offices of the Ontario Public Service Employees
Union in North Bay, Timmins and Hearst all held
bake sales Thursday as part of the union's "Save
the MNR" campaign to protest cuts to the
ministry's spending.
"It's a sad commentary on the state of this
particular ministry and the Ontario public
service. Basically, the government has abandoned
this ministry," said Eric Morin, president of
OPSEU Local 635, about having to raise his own
gasoline money. "They need to put some money
into the MNR because this ministry hasn't been
able to keep up with inflation for the last 10
years."
Irking the union, among other things, is that
operating funds for 2006-07 are down more than
$25 million, or five per cent, from last year.
The union has said operating expenses for
conservation officers have been cut by about 50
per cent from last year, forcing some COs to
ration fuel for their trucks and boats.
"It's basically been flat-line budgeting for the
last few years," said Morin. "And our view is
that this is an attack on the Northern lifestyle
because the MNR is the ministry of the North. We
are recognized as the gateway to the government
for a lot of people."
The "Save the MNR" campaign began, the union
said, because of frustration among staff who
were demoralized by staff cuts and office
closures.
