OPSEU

Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) met outside the office of Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan to protest the provincial government’s public service cuts.

While tens of thousands of OPSEU members are currently on strike as Ontario public college support staff, an additional 150,000 members in sectors including teaching and healthcare are currently in bargaining with the province.

At the center of OPSEU’s conflict with the Ontario government is Bill 124, which in 2019 limited pay increases for public sector workers to 1% annually. Though the law was repealed after Ontario courts ruled it unconstitutional last year, public service employees continue to feel as though they’ve fallen behind after years of high inflation rates.

An attack on working people

Representatives from OPSEU consistently voiced the belief that these provincial cuts to public services are designed to bring about the degradation and privatization of public services.

“We’re very concerned that they’re about to try to close colleges or privatize colleges,” said OPSEU president JP Hornick. “Meaning more and more students are going to get left behind.”

Hornick referenced the closure of 650 public college programs: “This is something that should be striking fear in the hearts of Ontarians.”

Carlos Santander-Maturana, president of the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council, echoed the feelings of Hornick. Asked about the public service cuts, Santander-Maturana pointed to the high inflation rates of the past few years – particularly in areas of basic necessity like food.

“Rent is skyrocketing, mortgages are high, and it’s very difficult for workers to make ends meet. Many of them have to start looking for a second or third job in order to pay the bill, so any cuts to wages and salaries are going to be felt by working families.”

“There is no question this is an attack on working people,” continued Santander-Maturana.

NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois, representative for Thunder Bay-Superior North, attended the rally in support of OPSEU. In alignment with the general theme of the day, she accused the Ford government of underfunding colleges with calculated purpose, with spending cuts “to the tune of at least $10,000 per student.”

A particularly stinging loss for Thunder Bay was the now-cancelled culinary program at Confederation College, which Vaugeois said was important for restaurants in the community.

Nobody’s Listening

Asked whether OPSEU had heard anything from the office of MPP Kevin Holland, JP Hornick stated they’d heard “nothing but crickets.”

“He’s not very keen on meeting with people who will have opposing political points of view,” said Carlos Santander-Maturana.

This reporter contacted the office of MPP Kevin Holland for a response, but at press time had yet to receive a comment.

President Owen Smith of OPSEU Local 731 could be seen in a tongue-in-cheek costume meant to call out CEO Graham Lloyd of the College Employer Council. OPSEU’s negotiations with the College Employer Council have been at a standstill for more than a week.

Asked whether he felt the provincial government was listening, Smith said no. “It’s sad that it seems to be falling on deaf ears, that we have to go on strike to get people to take notice.”

Smith maintains that the striking OPSEU public college support staff want to go back to work.

“People are falling behind… it’s unfair,” said Smith. Referencing the 10,000 layoffs of public college support staff, representing one-fifth of staff in the sector, Smith said workers were stressed by the large reduction in staffing.

“We’re trying to do more with less… Overtime is not allowed in most departments. So how do we keep up? We can’t. Things are going to fall through the cracks for us, and specifically at colleges, students are going to fall through the cracks.”