Ontario budget makes needed reinvestment in public sector

Province right to ignore pressure from Harper government for corporate tax cuts, OPSEU says

Toronto (26 March 2008) - The new Ontario budget will help cope with the current economic climate by investing in public services and the people who deliver them, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).

Patty Rout, the union’s first vice-president and treasurer, said Tuesday that provincial finance minister Dwight Duncan sent the right economic signal to the province at a time when several of the union's largest units are heading into contract negotiations.

“With the revenue projections in this budget, the money is clearly there for fair settlements.... We look forward to bargaining better contracts for our members,” Rout said.

She added that Ontario was wise to ignore the extraordinary pre-budget pressure exerted on the province by Jim Flaherty, finance minister in Stephen Harper's Conservative cabinet.

Flaherty went to unusual lengths before the budget to badger the province into adopting a new round of substantial corporate tax cuts.

“We like what the (provincial) government says about properly funding public services and the need for fair bargaining with those who provide these services," Rout said.

"Public services are critical – more so after the years of vicious Conservative cuts. Remember, tax cuts mean service cuts. We hope the minister remembers his comments today about honouring public sector workers and their contributions when we are at the (bargaining) table,” she said.

“Providing people with new skills is essential, especially for those losing jobs in manufacturing. Recruiting more skilled workers and retaining them is essential. The government has made a start in the right direction. But a deeper long-term commitment to funding our community colleges is needed. The provision for long-term care in this Budget is also inadequate.”

OPSEU represents 130,000 public sector workers including employees of all provincial government ministries, Ontario's 24 colleges, health care, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and other public services.

Several of the union's contracts expire over the next year, including those for support staff at the community colleges (Aug. 31) and for the Ontario Public Service (Dec. 31). OPSEU is also engaged in the largest organizing drive in Ontario history. Thousands of part-time workers at all 24 community colleges have been signed up by the union. NUPGE