Union leaders are preparing for a tough year of negotiating in Ontario, in light of the economic downturn world wide and governments response.
The President of the Grey Bruce Labour Council, Dave Trumble, hosted a planning session this past weekend in Owen Sound.
It involved members of OPSEU, CAW, CUPE and United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Trumble says the public service is under attack by both the Ontario and Federal governments.
While Ottawa looks at changing pension plans for the Civil Service, Trumble says the McGuinty government will launch a full scale assault on government workers once the Drummond report is released on Wednesday.
Trumble expects the report will attack “all the wrong places”, going after public services instead of the government to stop sending jobs overseas and to stop giving corporate tax cuts.
He is highly critical of Prime Minister Harper, saying he did nothing to stop the closure of the Electro-Motive plant in London, while supporting more jobs in China during his trip last week.
The Grey Bruce Labour Council President also blasts the attack on both civil service pensions, and Old Age Security.
Trumble says OAS is easily sustainable thru minor increases in payments and by creating more manufacturing jobs in Canada which in turn pay more taxes.
