OPSEU/SEFPO condemns shift of employment services away from colleges

TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2021 /CNW/ - OPSEU/SEFPO is greatly concerned about a government plan to shift employment services from Ontario's 24 public colleges to other providers, including large for-profit American companies. The union, which represents the majority of staff at the colleges, has concerns it may lead to the privatization of employment services. 

"Our public colleges are the experts with decades of experience and contacts in the community," noted OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "Shifting employment services to other providers makes no sense whatsoever." 

The move by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, begun in 2020, creates so-called "service system managers" to oversee and deliver employment services in 15 catchment areas. The introduction of a multi-stage competitive process to award the contracts appears to favour private, for-profit companies over the public colleges. The ministry is selecting foreign multinationals such as Maxiumus, Serco Group and Deloitte over public colleges as "qualified" applicants to make it to the next stage of the competition.

Dan Brisson sits on the union's divisional executive for college full-time support workers. He characterizes the move as potentially damaging to Ontario businesses and workers and insulting to the members he represents.  

"We provide top-quality employment services so workers can get good jobs right in their community," said Brisson. "That experience is more essential now than ever as some sectors are experiencing labour shortages, and we need an expanded and trained workforce to get the province back on its feet. 

"Now suddenly this proven record of excellence is a problem that needs fixing?" he asks. "In reality, there's no problem – unless you're a private entity looking to get public money for inferior services."  

Brisson points out that Australia's jobActive program has come under the gun for its precarious, short-term job placements, crushing caseloads for provider staff and overpayments to the mostly for-profit multinationals that have largely pushed out public providers.  

"When you throw public money at private interests, users lose every time," said OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida. "Many of those scarce dollars will go straight into private bank accounts. Something has to give – and it's quality of services and working standards."

At the prototype phase of the restructuring, contracts for three catchment areas were allocated equally among private, non-profit and public providers. But Thomas is concerned a significant amount of the work will go into private hands in the remaining 12 catchment areas, making this a case of privatization by stealth.

"Our colleges do a better job at the same price," said Thomas. "The government must rethink this needless scheme before it compromises workers' futures."  

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 613-329-1931, [email protected]