FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 15, 2002

Union to continue to provide essential services

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union will ask its members comply with an order by the Ontario Labour Relations Board to continue to provide essential services in correctional facilities and emergency dispatch services.

The Labour Board ruled early today that both the union and management in the current dispute must comply with the essential services agreements in 18 provincial correctional centres, jails and detention centres. OPSEU members will be participating in a thorough search of the facilities today.

“It has always been our intention to provide the staffing levels necessary to keep these facilities safe,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. “However, these jails were overcrowded and understaffed long before this strike, and they are not easy places to work, with or without a strike.”

Casselman also said a statement early today by Management Board Chair David Tsubouchi, accusing OPSEU members of “denying public services to taxpayers,” was not constructive to resolving the dispute.

“Mr. Tsubouchi’s statement is an indication that the government is not really interested in reaching a fair deal with his employees, and that he has not yet learned the true value of quality public services,” Casselman said. “After Walkerton, you’d think the Tories would have learned that.”

“Our aim is to get a collective agreement that begins to rebuild public services in this province after seven years of cuts to services and layoffs,” Casselman said.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact OPSEU Communications:

Paul Bilodeau: 416/443-8888 Ext.780 or 416/432-5021 (cell)
Katie FitzRandolph: 416/443-8888 Ext. 441 or 416/788-9057 (cell)
Randy Robinson: 416/443-8888 Ext. 442 or 416/788-9197 (cell)