OPSEU contract beats back concessions, makes gains: Casselman

TORONTO - Ontario Public Service employees have beaten back concessions and made satisfactory gains in a tentative agreement signed with the Ontario government at 5:30 this morning, their union says.

"This contract is the most for the least," said Leah Casselman, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. "We took on a huge, hostile, anti-worker employer, and we came out ahead. We beat back all the major concessions the government was after, we moved ahead in key areas, and we did it without the high price tag of a long and costly strike."

Government demands aimed to undercut seniority, cut benefits for sick and injured workers, slash severance pay for others, and institute a "pay-for-performance" scheme that would have opened the door to favouritism and harassment of workers, Casselman said.

"We stopped those concessions, and we went further. We won early retirement for surplused workers, we won speedier justice for grievances, we won a 50 per cent increase in paid time off for local presidents for union business, and we won the first wage increase in six years."

The union won wage increases of 1.0 per cent, 1.35 per cent, and 1.95 per cent in successive years of a three-year deal, plus extra pay adjustments for 5,400 workers in specific occupations.

"Backed by a solid strike vote and workplace organizing, our bargaining teams brought home a collective agreement we can all be proud of," said Casselman. "Congratulations to all of us."

A date for the ratification vote will be announced shortly.

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For more information:

Randy Robinson (416) 448-7441; 585-4777

Bill Trbovich (416) 561-5613

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