FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 4, 2000

MEDIA ADVISORY
Harris Government breaks its own rule with workfare at MTO

TORONTO – OPSEU says the Harris government is breaking its own rules by replacing paying jobs at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario with workfare.

"This government claims workfare will not replace paid work yet it’s creating 100 workfare positions at the MTO and these are jobs that were performed by our members before that ministry was downsized," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. The Ministry of Transportation under the Harris government has cut the jobs of about 4,000 OPSEU members since 1995. This amounts to staff reductions of about 40 per cent.

"Now they’ve got people on social assistance removing graffiti from rock cuts, cleaning culvert ends and MTO vehicles," said Casselman. "They’re getting these people to put confidential Driver and Vehicle registration information on microfilm. Under the OPSEU collective agreement this job pays close to $700 a week. This is nothing short of slave labour." Casselman will reveal the list and location of these workfare placements at a news conference tomorrow.

Date: Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: Entrance to MTO Complex
1201 Wilson Avenue, Downsview, Ontario

Leah Casselman will be joined by Reverend Karen Hamilton, President of the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada.

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For further information: Bill Trbovich 416-448-7400/561-5613