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The Ontario government violated its own labour laws by entering
into an illegal agreement with an association representing its supervisors, the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union has charged.
The government backtracked from discussions with OPSEU to
modernize its labour relations, and instead signed an agreement with the
association representing its supervisors that will restructure the Ontario
Public Service and affect the rights of OPSEU members.
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said he was very
disappointed with the actions of the McGuinty Liberal government. “The whole
thing was a charade. They obviously went into these consultations with a
pre-determined outcome. If this is a harbinger of what’s coming, Ontario is in
for a rough ride in labour negotiations this winter.”
In August, the Ontario government has convened consultations
with all bargaining agents representing its employees, including OPSEU, the
Ontario Provincial Police Association, and the Association of Management,
Administrative and Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) and the Professional
Engineers. Among other proposals, the government sought to bring in consultants
to update its Information Technology systems.
At the talks, the government proposed a series of changes as
their "leading option," which they then backtracked on. On Sept, 10, the same
day that the Government reneged on its "leading option," they signed a backroom
deal with AMAPCEO that included changes that would affect OPSEU’s jurisdiction,
plus give the association a veto on any proposed legislation.
OPSEU has filed an unfair labour practice charge, demanding that
Ontario Labour Relations Board declare the agreement invalid and pay $5 million
in damages to the union. OPSEU has also filed numerous policy grievances
covering the work of thousands of outside non-union contractors the government
has hired.
OPSEU will be entering into contract negotiations with the
government for about 45,000 provincial employees later this fall.
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For more information:
Paul Bilodeau, OPSEU Communications: 416 443 8888 ext. 8780
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