Tag: Epic Fail
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As extended hours at LCBO continue beyond holidays, union calls for more safety measures
The recent spike in thefts at various LCBO locations has Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas — president of OPSEU — calling for the government to meet and implement further security measures at store locations. “The LCBO is making some progress, but in my mind, not enough,” Thomas said. Click here to read the full article on the…
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President Thomas takes to the radio waves to talk cannabis and alcohol
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas appeared on CP24’s Live at Noon on January 3 to discuss recent police reports that there are increasing numbers of impaired drivers on Ontario’s roads. Thomas said that making alcohol even more accessible – through expanded sales in grocery stores and possibly even grocery stores – would just drive impaired-driving…
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LCBO thefts surge in Toronto, often as staff stand and watch. ‘They’re literally just walking away’
The sobering numbers look like this: more than 9,000 thefts at LCBO outlets in Toronto in the past four-and-a-half years (Jan. 1, 2014 to June 26, 2018), according to a crunching of Toronto Police Service data obtained by the Star. That makes the Liquor Control Board of Ontario far and away the most targeted retail…
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OPSEU plans protests outside Pan Am Games venues
Ontario public employees plan pickets to pressure Queen's Park during next month's Pan Am Games. Read more here. Related: OPSEU in the News
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Speaking up for fairness
Dear friends, I am always proud of OPSEU members, and last week Region 7 gave me another reason to be. At a pre-budget stop in Thunder Bay, Finance Minister Charles Sousa heard exactly what OPSEU members think of his government’s handling of public dollars. Local 737 Correctional Officer Mike Lundy put it simply: “It’s not…
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One hundred Ornges
This week, Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk reported that our provincial Liberal government has spent eight billion dollars too much to build schools, hospitals, courthouses and other infrastructure projects. How? Through public-private partnerships, or “P3s.” Instead of managing and financing these construction projects itself – the old-fashioned way – the government hired private sector “experts”…
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OPSEU’s Thomas calls for probe into Wynne government ties to the privatization industry
TORONTO – Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, is calling for a public inquiry into the relationship between the Kathleen Wynne government and the privatization industry in Ontario. “When the Auditor General says the Liberals have wasted $8 billion on ‘public-private partnerships,’ I can’t help but wonder who is peddling…
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What can we learn from Chris Mazza?
Put Government Contractors on the Sunshine List! Download as leaflet Openness, transparency, accountability…? In 2011, many Ontarians were surprised to learn that a guy named Chris Mazza had been paid $9.3 million over six years to run the provincial air ambulance service, Ornge. Ornge is paid for with public dollars, yet Mazza’s high-flying salary went…
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Can private sector companies meet public sector standards?
Dear friend, Big business has big plans for Ontario’s public sector. The other week I attended the Ontario Economic Summit, put on by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. A lot of business leaders were there. And here’s what I learned: business has never been more eager to take over public services and buy public assets…
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Labour Day – Not just another long weekend!
For many today, the origin of Labour Day seems to have been lost; a date on the calendar that marks the last long weekend of the summer season. That’s why it is instructive to recall the struggles and massive demonstrations on the streets of Toronto back in the 1870s. Canada at the time was changing…
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A Labour Day commitment to union and community
Fire up the barbeque, Labour Day has arrived. Celebrated across the country, the first Monday in September is often thought of as the last one before kids go back to school and the long, hot days of summer turn to autumn. Labour Day is more than just the unofficial end to summer. The holiday was…
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June 19 OPSEU News Conference on Privatization
What: OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas will hold a news conference to outline action needed to get privatization under control and hold Wynne Liberals to public services promise. Where: Queen’s Park Media Studio When: 10 a.m., Thursday, June 19, 2014 (Toronto) – Privatization runs counter to public interests and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union…