Warning message

Please note that this page is from our archives. There may be more up-to-date content about this topic on our website. Use our search engine to find out.

BarrieThe Ontario Tory government is now setting the stage for a dramatic revolution in how municipalities are run. Privatization consultants have been all over Queens Park advising the government on how to privatize and contract out everything from of water and sewage to public health services, homes for the aged and administration systems.

The municipal services Ontarians value and the jobs of municipal workers are threatened, says Sid Ryan the Ontario president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who will be speaking to municipal workers from across the province tomorrow, attending the CUPE Ontario Municipal Employees Conference from Thursday, March 28 to Saturday, March 30 at the Holiday Inn in Barrie.

The conference begins on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. with keynote speakers including Ryan and CUPE National president Judy Darcy.

To accomplish the sell-off or our cities and towns, it is anticipated that this spring the Tories will introduce a new Municipal Act that will mandate municipal governments to contract out and privatize services.

Ultimately, the Tory plan is to incite taxpayers into making the arguments against publicly-owned, and publicly-delivered services and legislating municipalities to deliver services as cheaply as possible, through either outright privatization, sell-off, deregulation, contracting out or competitive bidding. Municipalities will be competing with each other in a rush to bottom as our quality municipal services go down the drain, says Ryan.

-30-

For further information, please call:
Sid Ryan, President CUPE Ontario
416-209-0066
Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications
416-578-8774

opeiu 343sharemedia10328a04.omecc