The Ontario Public Service Employees Union met with Harinder Takhar, Minister of Transportation today to ask for stepped-up, full-time vehicle enforcement on our highways and an end to the expensive practice of contracting out.
“The people of Ontario voted for change, but the Ministry of Transportation continues the same old Tory policies: cutting road safety enforcement to pay for rich contracts that go overwhelmingly to former MTO senior staff. Too many retired MTO managers walk out the front door and come in the back door as consultants, or with private
contractors like IMOS and SERCO,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman.
“The result: more cost, less road safety,” she said.
OPSEU asked Takhar to step up highway enforcement on long weekends. Weigh scales, which are supposed to operate 24-7, are not in use on long weekends to save on overtime.
OPSEU told the Minister where he could find the savings to pay for this. “Contracting out at MTO is a huge boondoggle. We asked him to conduct a full cost comparison between contracted out services and those performed by public employees. Such a review will show huge savings can be had by keeping work in the public service.”
Casselman said OPSEU also asked for more effective methods of vehicle enforcement. “Our enforcement officers are demoralized because of the quota system,” Casselman said. “Instead of spending time on known violators they are forced to check trucks they know are in good order, again and again, just to meet their quotas.”
OPSEU asked Takhar to:
· Conduct a comprehensive review of Area Maintenance contracting out.
· Conduct a comprehensive review of Managed Outsourcing contracts where public employees could do the work.
· Scrap the quota system for vehicle enforcement and allow officers to use their judgement.
· Enforce roads and weigh scales at all times, including long weekends.
· Enforce roads other than 400 series highways so vehicles cannot dodge highway scales. (ie. Highway 2 near London)
· Stop retired MTO “consultants” from doing the work of bargaining unit members.
· Review the outsourcing of driver examinations to SERCO.
· Review the Tory download of provincial highways.
“The Liberals are simply continuing the disastrous and costly Tory policies in the Ministry of Transportation,” said OPSEU’s MTO spokesperson John O’Brien. “Meanwhile, people are being killed on our highways by flying truck parts. We have asked Minister Takhar today to call an immediate halt to contracting out, use the money saved and put
it into road safety enforcement.”
“The Liberals promised to consult to public employees on cost-savings they can find within government. Here are some great ideas to accomplish significant savings and put money into road safety enforcement where it is needed.”
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For further information:
John O’Brien, OPSEU Executive Board 807-628-4364
Peggy Maybury, OPSEU Executive Board 416-528-6826
