| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 16, 1999 Union
triggers conciliation in OPS talks
TORONTO – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union has triggered the
conciliation process in public service bargaining with the Ontario government.
"We are starting conciliation to put pressure on this employer to get serious at
the bargaining table," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. "After what
we’ve seen today, it’s clear they are still not fully engaged in the
process."
Casselman said the union and the employer have met at the Central negotiating table 35
times since bargaining began Nov. 18. So far, the government has tabled its demands, one
at a time, but refused to discuss union demands in any detail.
"Our goal is to have a new collective agreement before the provincial election is
called," Casselman said. "The employer’s goal appears to be to drag things
out, either to finish bargaining later or to use its own workers as some kind of pawn in
their election strategy.
"We’re not going that route," she said. "That’s why we’re
going to conciliation."
This morning, the government told members of the news media that it had offered members
of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union wage "increases" of 0.5 per cent,
0.75 per cent, and one per cent over the next three years.
"First, they shouldn’t be bargaining in the media," said Casselman.
"It didn’t work for them last time. Second, this kind of offer is obviously only
an opening position. After inflation, it’s actually a pay cut. And at the same time,
they’re still proposing to turn every worker into a temporary worker, and every
temporary worker into a terminated worker. We’re not buying it."
Under Ontario law, conciliation continues until the two parties reach either an
agreement or an impasse in bargaining. If conciliation fails, there is a period of
approximately 17 days until union members can strike or the employer can lock them out.
Of OPSEU’s 90,000 members, 48,000 are direct government employees in the Ontario
Public Service.
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For more information:
Randy Robinson (416) 448-7441
Katie FitzRandolph (416) 448-7440
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