The City of Ottawa has vetoed transit-shelter ads critical of Premier Dalton McGuinty's record on
public services, the union representing provincial government workers says.
Leah Casselman, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, says the union planned to place ads in a number of city-owned transit shelters as part of a provincewide campaign it launched today.
“Our campaign promotes the value of Ontario’s public services and the urgent need for the province to reverse a decade of public sector cutbacks,” Casselman said. “We were shocked when senior management at OC Transpo pulled our ads – and when Mayor Bob Chiarelli failed to overturn that decision.”
“This kind of political censorship is a clear violation of our members’ democratic right to free speech. We call on the Mayor and City Council to reverse OC Transpo’s position immediately.”
The OPSEU ads have been reviewed and approved by several advertising and media firms and will be running in transit shelters in 11 other Ontario cities. They feature photographs of OPSEU members who work in the Ontario Public Service and text that reads:
Lives depend on our public services.
It’s time Dalton McGuinty lived up to his promises.
No more cuts – Rebuild our public services.
A billboard version of the ad will appear in 14 cities, including Ottawa.
“In the last provincial election, the McGuinty Liberals made a clear commitment to rebuild public services in Ontario,” Casselman said. “We think the Premier should keep this promise. There is nothing ‘disparaging’ about saying that, despite what the city claims.”
OPSEU represents more than 100,000 public sector workers, including 40,000 in the Ontario Public Service who are currently in negotiations with the McGuinty government for a new collective agreement.
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Click here to download the OPSEU transit ad (to download, right click on link and choose "save target as". Note: this is a 2 Meg image.
For more information, please contact:
Myles Magner, OPSEU Communications: (416) 443-8888, ext 8777
