One hour and 55 minutes.

That’s how long the public hearings into Bill 25 lasted.

The hearings took place in Toronto on June 13. Despite short notice, OPSEU members came out in force. Denis Perreault, president of Local 364, was joined by Marg Simmons, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team in the OPS; team vice-chair Mark Kotanen; and four chairs of OPSEU Ministry Employee Relations Committees: Alicia Czekierda (Education), Terry Downey (Citizenship), Ron Marciniak (Municipal Affairs and Housing), and Doug Peebles (Agriculture and Food).

OPSEU president Leah Casselman had government MPPs squirming in their seats from the start.

“I leave it to you to decide how embarrassed you should be,” she told them. “Bill 25 concerns a public institution that directs the spending of $64 billion every year. At another time in this province, a Bill of this sort would have been the subject of weeks of hearings.”

Casselman accused the government MPPs of “profound disrespect” for the public service.

Ron Marciniak led off with a stirring ode to the power of an impartial, accountable public service.

“I have been a member of the Ontario Public Service for nine years,” he said. “In those nine years my work has been led by experienced, responsible senior public servants,” he said. “We understand, all of us, the balance between responsible fiscal stewardship and the delivery of services and programs. It is our business. We are all accountable. We do not always agree with the direction our political leaders wish to take, but as Dwight D. Eisenhower said, ‘Never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.’”

Marciniak followed with a blistering attack on new rules in Bill 25 that give authority over public services to private operators.

“I am at a loss as to how the citizens of this province will benefit with having the powers and authority of trusted public servants given to ‘another person or persons’ who do not share our vision of service without profit,” he said.

“The basic economic principles of supply and demand have no place in the public service. We do not close up and leave town if our services are not making money; our services must continue to be available to those who need them.

“We, all of us, are responsible for Cicero’s greatest law: ‘the good of the people.’”

Terry Downey got into a spirited debate with Tory MPP Marilyn Mushinski over the way Bill 25 will broaden access to employee records, including medical records.

“To allow any individual access to an employee’s medical information without consent is discriminatory and a violation of the Human Rights Code,” Downey said. “The Code has primacy over all other legislation. The government should not be breaking its own law.”

Downey demanded privacy safeguards if the Bill is passed.

Doug Peebles’ presentation was an eye-opener as well.

Bill 25 will give the government more options for using contract staff. Peebles said that replacing Ontario’s full-time classified meat inspectors with contract staff has put food safety at risk. Wages and working conditions for these 130 contract staff are so bad that few that take the job keep it for long. These “fee-for-service” workers even have to invoice the government to get paid, Peebles said.

“The supply of safe meat to your families is contingent on this temporary, inexperienced work force,” he said.

“In a recent MERC meeting, we asked Ministry management about… the high rate of meat inspector turnover. They indicated that it was a serious problem for them.

“In the past five-six years we have repeatedly cautioned the employer about the revolving door, the gaps in service, and the likelihood of public health being threatened due to the lack of experienced classified staff.”

Peebles’ remarks hit home with Liberal MPP Marie Bountrogianni. “The whole time you’re talking, I’ve got Walkerton on my mind,” she said.