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Thursday May 2 9:50 AM EST
Ontario government, civil servants settle after seven-week strike
By ANDREA BAILLIE
TORONTO (CP) - After a seven-week strike that sparked violence at prisons but created only minor inconveniences for the general public, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union reached a deal Thursday with the provincial government.
"We have of course been fighting to rebuild the foundation of public service, which is its people, and we're hoping this collective agreement moves us in that direction," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. The government was equally pleased with the deal.
"It's been a long strike for our employees, our managers and the public," Management Board Chair David Tsubouchi said in a news release.
"But, at the end of the day, we have a tentative agreement that is both fair to our employees and fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Ontario."
Details of the tentative agreement, reached early in the day, were not immediately available.
Casselman credited the direct involvement of Premier Ernie Eves, who has held the position just over two weeks, with the settlement.
"Clearly I think he heard our people up in his riding talking about the importance of their pension surplus," Casselman said.
"But he seems to be wanting to put a different face on the government - whether he's going to be successful in doing that i have my doubts - but as long as he's willing to use that rhetoric we'll certainly try and use it to get a better deal for our folks."
Eves does not have a seat in the legislature, but voters were to go to the polls Thursday to cast ballots in a byelection where he is attempting to win a seat in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, northwest of Toronto.
OPSEU members walked off the job March 13, bringing a halt to driver exams as well as the issuing of licences, health cards and birth certificates.
About a third of the union's 45,000 members, including some jail guards, are designated as providing essential services and were prohibited from striking.
Despite this, the government repeatedly went to the labour board to complain that many such workers were still not doing their jobs.
As managers were forced to run many jails themselves, disturbances broke out across the province ranging from outright riots to inmates breaking windows and setting fires.
At one point, the union claimed that managers were giving inmates pizza and pornography to placate them.
Prison workers were also accused of slowing the transfer of prisoners to court and judges complained that the system was becoming backlogged.
Elsewhere, the walkout meant that about 850 deaf, deaf-blind and special needs students across the province weren't able to attend classes.
Some parents have expressed concern that senior students have lost so much class time due to the strike that they will be unable to attend university next year.
Still, while the union has maintained the strike has had a huge impact, it has gone largely by the public and has had none of the high-profile violence of a five-week walkout by OPSEU in 1996.
During that dispute, strikers were involved in a bloody clash with police outside the Ontario legislature.
Some observers suggested this strike dragged on so long because OPSEU was waiting for Ernie Eves, Ontario's new premier, to take office.
Eves, who was sworn in April 15, has painted himself as a more moderate version of his predecessor, former premier Mike Harris, who frequently clashed with labour leaders.
In a stunning contrast from Harris, Eves stopped to chat with a group of angry OPSEU protesters while making an announcement during his first week in office.
Ontario Management Board Chair David Tsubouchi has said the government saved about $7.6 million each day of the current strike.
Key issues in the dispute have been wages, pensions and benefits.
The union was asking for a five per cent raise for each of the next three years. The government offered a 1.95 per cent raise for each of three years.
Ontario government, civil servants settle after seven-week strike
By ANDREA BAILLIE
TORONTO (CP) - After a seven-week strike that sparked violence at prisons but created only minor inconveniences for the general public, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union reached a deal Thursday with the provincial government.
"We have of course been fighting to rebuild the foundation of public service, which is its people, and we're hoping this collective agreement moves us in that direction," said OPSEU president Leah Casselman. The government was equally pleased with the deal.
"It's been a long strike for our employees, our managers and the public," Management Board Chair David Tsubouchi said in a news release.
"But, at the end of the day, we have a tentative agreement that is both fair to our employees and fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Ontario."
Details of the tentative agreement, reached early in the day, were not immediately available.
Casselman credited the direct involvement of Premier Ernie Eves, who has held the position just over two weeks, with the settlement.
"Clearly I think he heard our people up in his riding talking about the importance of their pension surplus," Casselman said.
"But he seems to be wanting to put a different face on the government - whether he's going to be successful in doing that i have my doubts - but as long as he's willing to use that rhetoric we'll certainly try and use it to get a better deal for our folks."
Eves does not have a seat in the legislature, but voters were to go to the polls Thursday to cast ballots in a byelection where he is attempting to win a seat in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, northwest of Toronto.
OPSEU members walked off the job March 13, bringing a halt to driver exams as well as the issuing of licences, health cards and birth certificates.
About a third of the union's 45,000 members, including some jail guards, are designated as providing essential services and were prohibited from striking.
Despite this, the government repeatedly went to the labour board to complain that many such workers were still not doing their jobs.
As managers were forced to run many jails themselves, disturbances broke out across the province ranging from outright riots to inmates breaking windows and setting fires.
At one point, the union claimed that managers were giving inmates pizza and pornography to placate them.
Prison workers were also accused of slowing the transfer of prisoners to court and judges complained that the system was becoming backlogged.
Elsewhere, the walkout meant that about 850 deaf, deaf-blind and special needs students across the province weren't able to attend classes.
Some parents have expressed concern that senior students have lost so much class time due to the strike that they will be unable to attend university next year.
Still, while the union has maintained the strike has had a huge impact, it has gone largely by the public and has had none of the high-profile violence of a five-week walkout by OPSEU in 1996.
During that dispute, strikers were involved in a bloody clash with police outside the Ontario legislature.
Some observers suggested this strike dragged on so long because OPSEU was waiting for Ernie Eves, Ontario's new premier, to take office.
Eves, who was sworn in April 15, has painted himself as a more moderate version of his predecessor, former premier Mike Harris, who frequently clashed with labour leaders.
In a stunning contrast from Harris, Eves stopped to chat with a group of angry OPSEU protesters while making an announcement during his first week in office.
Ontario Management Board Chair David Tsubouchi has said the government saved about $7.6 million each day of the current strike.
Key issues in the dispute have been wages, pensions and benefits.
The union was asking for a five per cent raise for each of the next three years. The government offered a 1.95 per cent raise for each of three years.
