TORONTO
– The McGuinty
government betrayed more
than 12,500 part-time
and sessional college
workers at a hearing
yesterday at the Ontario
Labour Relations Board,
the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union
says.
At a
Labour Board hearing
yesterday, the Ministry
of the Attorney General
argued vociferously that
OPSEU’s application to
represent part-time and
sessional workers at 24
Ontario community
colleges should not go
to a certification vote.
“Yesterday the McGuinty
government threw its
full weight behind the
colleges’ position,”
said OPSEU President
Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
“While this government
has repeatedly voiced
its support for union
rights for part-timers
and sessionals, when it
came down to the crunch
all these workers got
from their government
was a stinging slap in
the face.”
The
Labour Relations Board
announced today that it
would not order a
certification vote of
the affected workers.
Thomas
said that if nothing
else the government’s
intervention at the OLRB
served to clarify the
relationship between the
government and the
colleges.
“By its
actions yesterday, the
Ministry of the Attorney
General made it clear
that the community
colleges and the
government which funds
them are one and the
same entity,” he said.
“That means the Premier
can instruct the
colleges to immediately
recognize OPSEU as the
bargaining agent for
part-time and sessional
college workers. We are
calling on him to do so.
“Close
to 7,000 college workers
have signed union cards
with the understanding
that they have the same
right as anybody else to
bargain to improve their
wages and working
conditions,” Thomas
said. “For the McGuinty
government to trample on
the dreams and
aspirations of these
hardworking Ontarians is
shameful and
disgusting.”
The
OPSEU president vowed to
intensify the union’s
campaign to represent
college part-timers in
the days and weeks
ahead.
