Ontario government urged not to take away the right to vote from union members

OTTAWA, Aug. 10, 2015 /CNW/ - The Ontario government is being urged not to take away the right of workers to choose which union represents them as a result of restructuring in the public sector. Changes to the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act (PSLTRA), announced in the 2015 Ontario budget, would automatically move workers from one union to another, in an amalgamation of 2 or more employers, without a vote, if one union represented 60% or more of the potential members. Presently, union members have the right to vote to choose which union will represent them.

CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU), which represents 30,000 staff at 120 hospital sites, begins a campaign of public awareness today about the undemocratic nature of the changes.

"Restructuring under the PSLTRA is taking place primarily in the female dominated health sector where several essential rights (the right to strike, the right to refuse unsafe work) are already severely restricted. To take away the right of employees to decide which union will represent them is completely unjustified and unacceptable and trounces a basic constitutional right- the right to choose union representation democratically," says Michael Hurley, president of OCHU/CUPE.

Restructuring of the highly unionized hospital sector is actively underway across Ontario. Hospital laboratories, clinical and support services are being privatized and merged. " In all of these instances workers should not be told which union they will join, they should have the right to choose their union themselves, " says Hurley.

SOURCE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (CUPE)

Michael Hurley, President, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU), [phone]