FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 2005
Canada takes labour fight to Mexico while ignoring workers at home
While Federal Labour Minister Joe Fontana is championing the rights of Mexican workers, he is ignoring the similar rights of 17,000 part-time college workers in his home province of Ontario.
Last week, Fontana said he would seek ministerial consultations with the Mexican Secretary of Labour and Social Welfare on freedom of association issues raised in a formal review of two garment factories in Mexico.
Meanwhile, when approached about similar violations of worker rights in Ontario raised by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), the minister passed the buck to his provincial counterparts.
OPSEU complained in March to Fontana that the Ontario government prohibits part-time college workers from the right to organize -- a direct violation of Canada's international labour commitments.
"While we salute him for raising the issue of labour standards in Mexico, we can't understand why labour standards in Ontario are any less an issue," says Leah Casselman, OPSEU President. "After Fontana meets with the Mexican Minister, we request he meet with Premier McGuinty to remind him of Canada's commitment to fair
labour practices."
The province's 24 colleges maintain a large pool of part-time faculty and support staff that are paid less than their full-time counterparts. In addition, most have no benefits, suffer poor working conditions, and lack the freedom to speak out, fearing dismissal.
Yet under Ontario's College Collective Bargaining Act, part-time workers are denied any legal right to improve their situation by joining a union.
The first two principles of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation - signed in tandem with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) -- state that countries must respect the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining. In the case of Ontario's part-time college workers, Canada is in
violation of both principles.
"While we applaud Canada's role in advocating for democratic workers rights abroad, the federal government should be ashamed of their inaction at home," says Casselman.
Ontario is the only province in Canada to deny rights to part-time college workers. Faculty and support staff at the province's universities are under no similar restrictions.
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For more information, contact Rick Janson, OPSEU Communications, at 416-443-8888 ext 8207 or toll-free 1-800-268-7376.
