TORONTO - Ontario Public Service Employees Union members are helping keep the province running smoothly despite government confusion after the huge blackout.
“Our members’ dedicated work this week has ensured critical services are maintained, while conserving power to help maintain the fragile electric grid,” OPSEU president Leah Casselman said. “Despite confusing signals from the politicians over what “critical services” meant, they have risen to the challenge.”
“I would like to congratulate our members for their efforts in helping Ontario get through a difficult week.”
Casselman noted the uncanny parallels between the events that caused the blackout and Ontario’s recent tragedy at Walkerton. “Just as the private laboratory didn’t report problems with Walkerton’s water until it was too late, the private utility in the United States didn’t tell anyone about problems in the electrical grid until after the crash.
Deregulation, privatization, corner-cutting, and lack of accountability simply lead to disaster,” she said.
“This power crisis is more proof that public services like electricity must be publicly owned - period,” she said. “Unfortunately, it takes a crisis before the Tories get the point.”
OPSEU’s 100,000 members in the Ontario Public Service, Broader Public Service, and the Colleges have all played a key role in seeing Ontarians through the crisis, said Casselman.
-30-
For further information:
David Cox, OPSEU Communications: 416-443-8888 (ext 314)
