Budget

- May 15, 2025
Toronto, ON – Today, the Ford government unveiled a provincial budget for 2025-26 which yet again laid bare their agenda to put investors and developers first—rather than Ontario families and communities and the public services they rely on. OPSEU/SEFPO, the union representing more than 200,000 workers in health care, education, social services, the LCBO, and...
- January 24, 2025
Introduction The Ontario Public Service Employes Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) represents 180,000 public sector workers in Ontario. OPSEU/SEFPO members work in the Ontario Public Service; in Ontario’s colleges, universities, and public schools; in Ontario’s hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulance services and public health units; in developmental services, child treatment centres, mental health agencies; in laboratories and blood...
- March 26, 2024
TORONTO, March 26, 2024 – The Ford Government’s 2024 Budget, released this afternoon, fails to meet the moment and does nothing to help Ontarians struggling with the current cost of living crisis. OPSEU/SEFPO, the union representing Ontario’s public service workers, says the budget is just the latest in a series of bad choices made by...
- February 14, 2023
This morning at Queen’s Park, OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick addressed the members of the Ontario legislature’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs as part of the 2023/24 Pre-Budget Consultations. Hornick presented OPSEU/SEFPO’s pre-budget submission and spoke about the cost of living crisis while urging the government to address the major staffing and retention crisis...
- November 14, 2022
For Immediate Release TORONTO – Following the Ford government’s Fall Economic Update which provided no new funding for a health care system falling apart at the seams, OPSEU/SEFPO leaders had a message for Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy: “Do your job. Fix the health care crisis now.” “The Ford government sat on...
- April 28, 2022
Toronto – OPSEU/SEFPO’s leaders say public sector heroes and front-line workers who helped Ontario through the pandemic should be rewarded, not robbed by the Ford government. OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick says the budget is filled with public money giveaways to private sector CEOs while the public sector continues to be starved for funding. In last...
- April 20, 2022
The Toronto Star is reporting that newly elected OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick has “come out swinging against the Ford government,” saying it has “let us down for the last time.” “Public sector workers have spoken, and they have a message – the Ford government has lost our support,” said JP Hornick Wednesday morning at Queen’s...
- April 7, 2022
From your Mental Health & Addictions Division leaders: thank you! We salute the members who provide mental health and addictions services across the province for their work and continued dedication throughout the pandemic. You provided essential and life-saving services at a time when the demand for mental health and addictions services skyrocketed. You rose to...
- March 24, 2021
Toronto – OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas commends the Ford Conservatives for rejecting austerity and says they must stay the course and continue to focus on rebuilding Ontario in the long-term. Thomas is calling today’s budget a positive step toward health and economic recovery saying that support for job creation and public services is the...
- January 25, 2021
To emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever, OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is urging the Minister of Finance to invest billions more in public services in the 2021/22 budget. “Decades of cuts have left Ontario defenceless against COVID-19. Those cuts have already cost 5,000 lives,” Thomas told Peter Bethlenfalvy during a virtual presentation on...
- December 2, 2020
After decades of budgets that portrayed public services and public service workers as a problem to be solved through deep cuts, privatization, and austerity, OPSEU/SEFPO is deeply relieved that the budget contained within Bill 229 finally treats us with some of the respect we deserve. It is a welcome change and the union commends the...
- November 3, 2020
Toronto – OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is calling on the Ford government to make major investments into public services in this week’s budget to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and address decades of neglect of successive governments. “In a word, it has to be about a collective investment in the heart and soul of...