Government workers to protest at Liberal event dinner

OTTAWA, Nov. 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Workers in the Ontario Public Service, represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, will protest this evening at the Ottawa Trillium Dinner after receiving the opening bargaining proposals from the Ontario government.

Date:		November 24, 2014
Time:		5:30 p.m.
Location:		Ottawa Convention Centre
		55 Colonel By Drive

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said that the opening offer from the government is nothing but a blueprint to completely dismantle Ontario's public services.

"Years of cost cutting and layoffs in the public sector have reduced services and workers to the bare minimum," Thomas said. "Our province already spends less per person on public services than any other province does. Now, while Kathleen Wynne sits at a $600-a-plate dinner, she plans to throw open the doors to eliminate more public sector jobs, and outsource most of the services."

OPSEU Regional Vice-President Dave Lundy said that when it comes to value for money, there is no government policy of the past 20 years that has a worse record than privatizing and outsourcing public services.

"For example, IT consultants cost more than twice as much as OPSEU-represented IT employees," Lundy said. "We estimate the government could save at least $200 million a year by contracting IN their IT services.

"The opening bargaining proposals from the Ontario government are nowhere even close to acceptable," Thomas said. "We will not stand idly by and watch the public services that so many Ontarians rely on get slashed and dismantled, while costing the taxpayers even more."

OPSEU represents all frontline Ministry employees who work directly for the Ontario government. The current collective agreement expires Dec. 31, 2014.

SOURCE: Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Warren (Smokey) Thomas: 416-443-8888; Dave Lundy: 613-213-1953