City
The Union Cometh.
What do a prison guard, a file clerk, a wine merchant and a college teacher have in common? They're all members of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union; OPSEU for short.
You'll also be seeing a lot more of them over the next few days if you venture around the Nathan Philip's Square area on Queen West - this morning their annual convention begins. There will be a lot of interesting debate (assuming you're interested in trade unionism), but one issue that is head and shoulders above the rest... OPSEU will be debating this week as to if they should officially endorse the NDP in the upcoming provincial elections.
This will be a first for the union, and an idea that IMNAAHO, is ill-founded. Beyond the ill-advised strategy of supporting a party that is not likely to win, thus souring relations with the next government, is the unseemliness of public servants as a whole (as opposed to as individuals, which is another matter entirely) getting involved in choosing their bosses. A bad idea all around.
Still, this week is a time for OPSEU to celebrate everything they've achieved. So if you see on of them on the streets in the next few days, give them a smile - after all, they may be selling you booze next you meet.
Discussion
3 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
The public service is supposed to be officially neutral. They are there to support and enact the dictates of state - regardless of who the government of the day might be.
By officially endorsing one party over another, they are cracking that patina of neutrality.
We need to stay neutral because if we let our politics get in the way of our jobs, we can cause a lot of damage. Imagine the damage that can be done if an NDP supporter decides he no longer likes the Liberal government and leaks confidential info (which is extremely illegal) - such as a budget - and brings down a Minister, or a Premier... Or they start feeding confidential information to boost the prospects of their party during a campaign.
It's all fine and dandy for public servants to vote and get involved. But this must be completely separate from their work at their offices. Aside from politics, public servants are forbidden to take part in businesses which can potentially cause a conflict of interest. As people who work in sensitive areas, we always need to be careful.