OPSEU President questions MPPs' refusal to meet with OPSEU members

TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2015 /CNW/ - In a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne, the President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union is asking if the Premier has directed Liberal MPPs to refuse to meet constituency members who work for the Ontario Public Service.

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas says that OPSEU members who requested meetings with Liberal MPPs have been refused appointments. He wants the Premier to verify whether the MPPs are acting on their own or under direction from the Premier or her designates.

"This refusal to meet has come at a time when their need to discuss their concerns with Liberal action have been heightened due to the critical situation developing with OPS bargaining and your government's continued push for harsh cutbacks and wasteful privatization," said Thomas.

OPSEU has criticized Wynne for taking billions of dollars out of public services and pouring them into contracts for well-connected companies. Last month, the Auditor General said the Liberals paid $8 billion too much for privatized construction projects alone.

OPSEU represents all frontline Ministry employees who work directly for the Ontario government. Their collective agreement expired Dec. 31, 2014. In bargaining, the government's opening contract offer is a plan to further privatize, outsource, and dismantle the entire Ontario Public Service even though OPSEU members have proven time and again they do the work better, cheaper, and fairer, OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President, OPSEU, 613.329.1931