FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 6, 2000

Public Inquiry must protect whistleblowers from reprisals, OPSEU says

TORONTO – The Public Inquiry into the Walkerton water disaster must guarantee protection to government and other employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing by their employer, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.

People who testify at a Public Inquiry are protected under the law from legal action if they testify, but have only limited protection from employer reprisals in the workplace such as firings, adverse appraisals, denial of benefits, and so on.

"Employees are the insiders," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. "All employees have a tale to tell about changes in the Ministry of Environment – and possibly other workplaces – that have seriously downgraded our ability to ensure the safety of our drinking water. Those people may never come forward if they believe they are risking their livelihood to do so."

A law to protect whistleblowers should also be part of the subject matter for the Inquiry, she said. In 1993, the former NDP government passed whistleblower protections for public servants as part of Bill 117, but they were never proclaimed into law.

"In the interests of open, transparent, and accountable government, all employees must feel free to speak out when they see instances of mismanagement and wrongdoing," Casselman said.

The terms of reference for the Inquiry must be as broad as possible and should examine the impact of legislation, budget cuts, municipal downloading, and other changes, said Casselman.

"The Walkerton water disaster did not happen in isolation," said Casselman. "Responsibility for drinking water is, or should be, part of an integrated, fully accountable system of checks and balances. When it is not, the conditions are in place for a disaster."

OPSEU represents 1,100 employees at the Ministry of the Environment, 580 at the Ontario Clean Water Agency, over 700 at Grey Bruce Health Services; 85 at the Bruce Grey-Owen Sound Health Unit; and over 100 at the South Bruce – Grey Health Centre, Walkerton’s hospital.

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For more information: 

Bill Trbovich (416) 561-5613; (416) 793-0092
Katie FitzRandolph (416) 448-7440

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