Dear friends:

The Ontario Liberal Party will choose a new leader – and a new Premier for the province – on January 26.

Changing the Liberal leader won’t do much for working people. Despite the Liberals’ slogan of “Forward Together,” most OPSEU members are more worried about going backward. Our wages and working conditions are under attack, and many members are facing the very real fear of job loss in 2013 due to major cuts and privatization of public services.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives have attacked the democratic right of workers to take part in collective bargaining. The Liberals’ Bill 115 gives government the power to impose contracts on teachers and school upport staff – without bothering to negotiate in good faith. And the Conservatives are no better. They’ve already made it clear that if they win the next election, they’ll declare war on unionized workers and force public sector workers to compete for their own jobs against private sector companies.

It’s pretty clear that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives are working for the common good of all Ontarians. They may be working for corporate CEOs and other members of the top one per cent, but they’re not working for working people.

On  January 26, we will take our demand for a compassionate and prosperous Ontario directly to Liberal Party members and leadership candidates. You are invited to a major rally in the morning on Saturday, January 26, outside Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Mark this date on your calendar and plan to attend. If you live outside of Toronto, you’ll be able to catch a ride to the rally on buses we’ll be organizing from other regions of Ontario. Watch for more information in the new year.

Until then, I’m wishing you and your family all the best this holiday season.

In solidarity,

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President, Ontario Public Service Employees Union