TORONTO
– Investing in public
services and the people
who deliver them will
help Ontario cope with
the current economic
climate, the Ontario
Public Service Employees
Union (OPSEU) says.
Patty
Rout, OPSEU’s First-Vice
President/Treasurer,
said the Duncan Budget
sends the right signals
as several of the
union’s largest units
head into bargaining.
“With
the revenue projections
in this Budget, the
money is clearly there
for fair settlements in
the major units OPSEU
represents,” Rout says.
“We look forward to
bargaining better
contracts for our
members.”
Rout
said the government was
wise to ignore Federal
Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty’s calls for a
substantial corporate
tax cut. “We like what
the government says
about properly funding
public services and the
need for fair bargaining
with those who provide
these services. Public
services are critical;
more so after the years
of vicious Conservative
cuts. Remember - tax
cuts mean service cuts.”
“We hope
the minister remembers
his comments today about
honouring public sector
workers and their
contributions when we
are at the table,” said
Rout.
“Providing people with
new skills is essential,
especially for those
losing jobs in
manufacturing.
Recruiting more skilled
workers, and retaining
them, is essential. The
government has made a
start in the right
direction. But a deeper
long-term commitment to
funding our community
colleges is needed.”
“The
provision for long-term
care in this Budget is
also inadequate.”
OPSEU
represents 130,000
public sector workers
including employees of
all Ontario government
ministries, Ontario's 24
colleges, health care,
the LCBO, and many other
public services.
Several
of the union's
province-wide contracts
expire over the next
year including those for
support staff at the
community colleges (Aug.
31, 2008) and the
Ontario Public Service
(Dec. 31, 2008).
OPSEU is
also engaged in the
largest organizing drive
in Ontario history,
involving thousands of
part-time workers at the
24 community colleges.
