Seeking relief and protection from frequent and abrupt changes to their job duties and working conditions, the highway maintenance staff working in the GTA for Ferrovial Services Canada have voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining OPSEU/SEFPO.
The stretches of highway in and around Toronto are some of the busiest in the country, and we all depend on this group of workers to keep those highways safe,” said OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “But it’s tough for them to do their job when their managers are changing their road map every day.
“So I’d like to congratulate our newest members for standing up for themselves by joining our great union – welcome!”
The Ferrovial GTA workers are just the latest highway maintenance staff to join the 180,000-strong OPSEU/SEFPO. The union represents workers at the Ministry of Transportation and a variety of private highway-maintenance contractors across the province, including Ferrovial divisions in Ottawa and Sault Ste Marie.
“Highway workers like our newest members won’t soon forget the sudden collapse in 2018 of Carillion, the multinational that had contracts to provide highway maintenance in a number of communities across Ontario,” said OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida. “Joining a strong union like OPSEU/SEFPO is the best protection you can get against a private employer going bust and leaving you with nothing.
“These new members are stronger now that they’ve joined OPSEU/SEFPO. And OPSEU/SEFPO is stronger now that they’ve joined us.”