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McGuinty government demands multiple concessions

As expected, the McGuinty government has made a long series of concession demands at the OPSEU "OPS" negotiations, where OPSEU is bargaining on behalf of 36,000 provincial civil servants. Here is what OPSEU saw from the government on the first day:
  • A two-year agreement.
  • A two-year pay freeze.
  • Creation of a new step on the wage grid 3 per cent lower than the lowest step.
  • Reduce sick time payments after six days from 75 per cent to 66 and two-thirds per cent. Implement two unpaid days for more than six continuous absences. Ability to top up sick leave only to 75 per cent and only with vacation credits.
  • Change benefits to a maximum annual dollar limit for all services instead of service specific caps.
  • Increased use of temporary employees and consultants.
  • Gutting Job Security (Article 20 and Appendix 40)
  • Increase full-time conversion unclassified employees from 18 months to 24 months.
  • Elimination of termination pay under Reasonable Efforts
  • Eliminating termination pay for all new employees
  • Freeze the current entitlements for existing employees; for example, if you currently have 14 years’ service, you will be capped at that and will not be able to earn any more.
  • Elimination of Surplus Factor 80
This, apparently, is Dwight Duncan's idea (noted yesterday) of "working with OPSEU" to get a collective agreement.  For more detail (including a copy of the government's proposal) see OPSEU's eye-popping page describing the negotiations, by clicking here.  
McGuinty's proposals to gut employment security make a mockery of his claim that he is "freezing wages" to save public sector jobs and services.  From this long list, it appears he wants it all: a wage freeze, economic concessions, and less employment security.

OCHU's central agreement with Ontario hospitals expires September 2013. Good luck to OPSEU!
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