Toronto-Workers at two Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) offices voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) this week.
Both the Central District office (with offices in Barrie, Peterborough, and Oshawa) and the North Toronto District office (with four offices in Scarborough) will be joining their partners at two other LAO offices already represented by OPSEU.
“I extend a very warm welcome to our newest members,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “They made the right choice by opting for OPSEU.”
Workers at the two LAO offices cited a number of reasons for wanting to unionize, including the security of having terms and conditions of employment that cannot be changed unilaterally, and having a voice to raise and address issues collectively, rather than individually.
“OPSEU members all stand behind each other,” said Thomas. “And the workers at LAO can rest assured that their voices just got a whole lot louder.”
Thomas pointed out that union representation is especially important now while LAO is undergoing significant restructuring following a recent budgetary shortfall.
OPSEU represents more than 230 members at Legal Aid Ontario who provide back office support in policy, IT, and finance, as well as front-facing workers supporting the provision of legal services to Ontarians in need. A majority of members at the Central District and North Toronto District offices are legal aid workers, many providing supports to the regional offices of LAO.
For more information: Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 613-329-1931