Today’s cabinet shuffle will not distract the people of Ontario from the damage the Conservative government has done, says Ontario Federation of Labour.
“You can shuffle the cards, but it is still the same deck,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley. “This government took decent work laws and the $15 minimum wage away from 1.7 million low-wage workers in this province. Its cuts to health care, legal aid, and education, and autism funding are affecting millions more. Bill 124’s attacks on front-line public sector workers’ compensation will leave millions more struggling. Despite Ford’s campaign promise that no one will lose their job, there are thousands of job losses already across the province.”
In addition to job losses, compensation cuts, and the rollback of decent work laws, the Conservatives have undermined the constitutional right to strike by using back-to-work legislation.
“It is shameful that the Conservatives are continuing their attack on workers by appointing a Minister of Labour who expressed his approval for anti-worker legislation in the US,” said Buckley.
“The people of Ontario will not forget that each and every Conservative MPP has voted in favor of the damaging policies this government has proposed,” said Buckley. “The Ministers in cabinet will continue to vote in favor of policies that erode decent work in Ontario, devastate the public services Ontario families depend on, hurt equality and justice, and reduce health and safety across the province.”
In just over a year, the cuts made by the PC government have brought tens of thousands of Ontarians to Queen’s Park to protest cuts to education, health care, and public services. Ontario spends the least amount per person on public services of any province in Canada.
“Ontario does not have a spending problem; it has a revenue problem. Instead of cutting public services, the government should be making sure wealthy corporations pay their fair share. The people of Ontario will continue to fight changes that hurt families across this province,” said Buckley. “The people of Ontario will continue to fight for an Ontario for all. It is easy to see that this cabinet shuffle is like shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.”
The Power of Many is a campaign by the Ontario Federation of Labour and its allies in communities across Ontario, working together to protect and win decent work laws, strong public services, along with equality and justice, as well as safe and healthy communities for all.
The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.
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For more information, please contact:
Meagan Perry
Director of Communications
Ontario Federation of Labour
mperry@ofl-org.flywheelsites.com l 416-894-3456
