Ontario Unions On Red Alert Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Sep 26, 1997 by Ken.Patience@opseu.tor250.org Ontario Unions On Red Alert September, 17,1997 --------------------------------------------------------------- (TORONTO) - after reviewing the information provided by consultations between the labour movement and the Harris government this past week on Bill 136 the tension around the peice of legislation has intensified for unions in Ontario. "The Minister of Labour is misleading Ontario workers when she claims that there have been significant cahnges made to Bill 136 in consultation with labour." OFL President Gord Wilson said today at the end of an emergency meeting with laeders of broader public sector unions and teacher's federations, as well as representatives from the nurses and fire fighters. The government fialed to guarantee a fair arbitration system, failed to reinstate the right to strike, failed to guarantee that independant arvbitartors will be appointed to resolve disputes and failed to take into account the rights of provincial employee's who are being forced- marched into mergers and downsizing. "It's obvious to organized labour today that the Harris government had no intention of altering Bill 136 from the very beginning. Nothing has changed," Wilson said. "The so called cahnges are nothing more than fluff and window dressing, essentially Bill 136 and what it will do to workers in Ontario has remained unchanged." "We have an obligation to our members to do whatever it takes to see they are protected and nothing this government has come up with ensures that their rights will be protected. So as of today labour is on war footing with this government moving to full mobilization against Bill 136." OFL President Wilson was speaking on behalf of more than 650,000 union members in Ontario when he reported to a large group of union leaders about the unsatisfactory nature of the talks between the unions and government about Bill 136. "In their haste to ram this legislation through the House the Harris government has provided for only four days of public hearings and only Toronto, in order to have Bill 136 in place by October 2, 1997. To schedule four days of hearings on a legislation that will effect the rights of over 700,000 workers is outrageous," Wilson said. " The government's position on Bill 136 will only intensify confrontation after January 1,1998. Ontario Federation of Labour | Ontario Ken.Patience@opseu.tor250.org | Public | Service | Employees | Union ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytlab-09.29.97-23:26:22-31805