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Right to Work laws not the only threat: OPSEU brings lessons from Wisconsin

Three years later, people in Wisconsin refuse to back down against Governor Walker's attack on workers.

Toronto (27 Mar. 2014) — Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak claims to have dropped his plan to bring American-style Right to Work laws to Ontario. But there’s more than one way to bust a union, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE). Hudak has a list of other anti-labour legislation he will enact if he is ever elected Premier of Ontario.

Hudak may have dropped the idea of Right to Work but has other anti-worker ideas up his sleeve

Hudak is a big fan of U.S. anti-labour legislation and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has shown conservative politicians on both sides of the border how to destroy public service unions without passing a Right to Work law.

In March 2011, Walker and his Tea Party allies in the Wisconsin legislature passed Act Ten. It took away the right from public service unions to collectively bargain on pensions, health and safety, overtime and wage increases above the cost of inflation, and also abolished meaningful grievance procedures. In short, anything the union could do for it members.

Predictably membership in the public service union (AFSCME) fell from 19,000 to 8,000 in just three years. Even so, union members aren’t giving up. Every day they go to the Wisconsin Legislature to serenade Governor Walker with songs of defiance.

Hudak's Plan B: Following in

As a way to expose to Ontarians about what life could be like if anti-labour laws, like those in Wisconsin, are passed in the province, OPSEU/NUPGE has set out to produce a series of videos exposing the threats. 

"We need to redouble efforts when responding to policies and laws that stand in the way of prosperity in Ontario. We must learn from Wisconsin and act together for the good of all Ontarians," says OPSEU/NUPGE. "If we all get involved in our communities, we will be part of a change that can benefit everyone. That is what unions are all about."

More information:

Road Trip 2013 – The Quest to Find the Truth about ‘Right to Work

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE