public sector

Saturday March 16, 2024

Ford's fiscal policies, including the unconstitutional Bill 124, have led to mismanagement and harm to essential workers and taxpayers, reflecting a pattern of ideological posturing and reckless spending detrimental to Ontarians' well-being.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday March 16, 2024

The Costly Failure of Ford’s Fiscal Policies

October 5, 2012

In a time when fiscal responsibility should be paramount, the Ford government’s mismanagement of taxpayer money has reached unprecedented levels. The recent revelation that Ontario is on the hook for over $6 billion in payments to public sector workers due to the unconstitutional nature of Bill 124 is just the latest in a series of fiscal blunders. 

Bill 124, which capped salary increases for broader public sector workers at one per cent a year for three years, was not only legally flawed but also morally reprehensible. The government’s attempt to impose such stringent wage restraints on essential workers during a global pandemic was nothing short of callous. Rather than bargaining in good faith with unions, the Ford government opted for an ill-conceived legislative attack that backfired spectacularly.

Opinion: Bill 124 is no more: Good riddance to bad legislation 

June 9, 2020

This was not just about fiscal prudence; it was about ideological posturing. Ford’s attempt at union-busting and pandering to his anti-labour base failed miserably, at the expense of Ontario’s workers and taxpayers alike. The wasted tax dollars spent on fighting legal battles that were doomed to fail could have been better allocated to essential services like healthcare. 

Moreover, the Ford government’s record on spending is alarming. Despite promises to rein in excessive government spending, Ford has presided over a 27 percent increase in spending since taking office. This reckless approach to fiscal policy is unsustainable and ultimately detrimental to the well-being of Ontarians. 

News: Ontario has to pay public sector workers $6B and counting in Bill 124 compensation 

November 2, 2022

The repeal of Bill 124 is a welcome development, but it comes too late for the nurses, teachers, and other public sector workers who were unfairly impacted by its constraints. The government’s failure to recognize the detrimental effects of its policies on the healthcare system, particularly during a staffing crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, is a testament to its lack of foresight and empathy. 

Ontarians deserve better. They deserve a government that prioritizes their needs over political posturing. It’s time for the Ford government to acknowledge its mistakes, learn from them, and chart a new course that prioritizes the well-being of all Ontarians, not just a select few. The cost of failure is too high to ignore. (AI)

 

Saturday May 21, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 21, 2022

Doug Ford nets another union endorsement, positions Ontario PCs as labour friendly

October 20, 2021

Doug Ford touted his union ties and tried to position his Progressive Conservatives as the labour-friendly option for voters on Tuesday, as his political rivals accused him of simply paying lip service to workers.

The Tories gained the endorsement of another construction workers’ union on the campaign trail, while the more traditionally union-friendly NDP secured the backing of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents 180,000 workers.

But Mr. Ford downplayed his tiffs with public sector workers, whose ire he’s drawn over a bill that capped wage increases at 1 per cent for three years, as he highlighted the endorsement from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).

“These are the people that are going to build Ontario, build Toronto, build the whole province. They’re out there slugging it out, day in and day out, no matter what type of weather it is. And we couldn’t run the province without ‘em,” Mr. Ford said at a morning press conference. “… I’ll always have their backs, always.”

February 28, 1996

He was speaking at IUPAT’s headquarters in Toronto’s north end, where he used a stencil and sprayer to paint his campaign slogan, “Get It Done” on a Progressive Conservative blue wall.

Mr. Ford, who’s seeking re-election in next month’s vote, kyboshed attempts to compare his Tories to a previous PC government in Ontario.

In the seven years Mike Harris led the province, he earned a reputation for being anti-union.

Mr. Ford said that’s not his position, nor was it the position of his late father, who served as a Progressive Conservative MPP under Mr. Harris for several years.

“I’m not gonna judge any other any other party. I’ll tell you, our families, be it my dad or my brother Rob or [nephew] Michael, we’ve supported the hard working women and men in this province, the union members,” Mr. Ford said. “We always have. I love ‘em.”

But Mr. Ford hasn’t always had a friendly relationship with unions.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath noted Mr. Ford has been at loggerheads with unions representing public employees over legislation passed in 2019 that caps pay raises in the public sector at 1 per cent or less.

August 29, 2019

He declined Tuesday to commit to repealing the bill – something several unions have been requesting since the legislation passed – saying instead that he’d “treat them fairly” when the three-year raise freeze is over.

Mr. Ford has also feuded with teachers’ unions, first during lengthy contract negotiations and later over his policies for reopening schools during the pandemic.

Ms. Horwath, whose New Democrats have historically been the party most closely aligned with unions, said workers should pay attention to the changes in Mr. Ford’s tune.

“I don’t change my mind about my support for unions and working people,” Ms. Horwath said at a campaign stop on Tuesday. “We’ve seen Mr. Ford attack unions, we’ve seen him attack working people, many, many times. The Conservatives always do that. (The Globe & Mail)