Yet another group of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) workers – these ones at the North District offices in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and Kenora – have voted to join OPSEU.
“With all the cuts and chaos being inflicted on Legal Aid Ontario by the Ford government, I can understand why more and more of its workers are joining us,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “A strong union is a shelter in the storm, and this storm might get worse before it gets better.
“On behalf of all of our 165,000 members, I’d like to say congratulations and welcome home.”
Over the past year, a steady stream of LAO workers have been joining OPSEU. Last month, the workers at the West District offices joined. Two months before that, it was the workers at the Northeast District. They’re all now among the more than 350 members of OPSEU Local 525.
“This is the strength of solidarity in action,” said OPSEU First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida. “The more Legal Aid Ontario workers stand together, the better they can protect the vital services they provide to some of the most vulnerable people in the province.”
OPSEU’s Community Services sector chair Kareen Marshall said the new LAO members can count on the support of thousands of other OPSEU members working in the community.
“We know our work is incredibly valuable,” said Marshall. “Together, we’ll stop the Ford government from inflicting these cruel and heartless cuts on the services that so many people in Ontario depend on.”