Union sets strike deadline as Cabinet stops bargaining

TORONTO – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union has set a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, March 18 in public service contract talks with the Ontario government.

Government negotiators announced March 14 that they had no mandate to address the union’s issues or to withdraw their demands for major concessions at the Central Bargaining Table.

"This is not the first time that employer negotiators have said they have no mandate to bargain," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. "We have made significant moves, to little avail. We have no choice but to get ready for the next step.

"We still hope to have a contract by St. Patrick’s Day, but we’re not accepting one at the price they’re charging," she said. "We will do what we have to do."

None of the contract changes sought by the union – on job security, early retirement, and improvements for contract staff, and wages – have been agreed to. Employer demands for takeaways include:

• reducing seniority by slashing bumping rights and introducing "protected positions" to allow selected junior employees to avoid job loss while older workers are laid off;
• transferring termination pay to successor employers instead of employees when public service work is transferred to the broader public service;
• blocking contract employees from being converted to full-time permanent positions;
• a new "pay-for-performance" system that would open the door to favouritism and harassment of employees by managers;
• reducing inflation protection for sick or injured employees living on Long Term Income Protection payments; and
• other concessions.

"Nothing that’s on the table right now is more significant than what would be on the table in normal negotiations with a normal employer," said Casselman. "Unfortunately we are not dealing with a normal employer. They have failed to make any convincing arguments as to why they need those concessions or why our demands are so unreasonable."

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For more information: Randy Robinson (416) 315-2982; (416) 448-7441

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