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Mike Da Prat is disgusted and dismayed. Find out why

SooToday.com received the following letter today from USW Local 2251 President Mike Da Prat in response to yesterday's federal budget.

SooToday.com received the following letter today from USW Local 2251 President Mike Da Prat in response to yesterday's federal budget.

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Dear Editor,

I find it necessary to write this letter to the editor to express my disgust and dismay with the federal budget released yesterday.

It appears to be a common excuse of the Conservative Government that all ills are the fault of the baby boomers.

It is particularly noteworthy that it is the baby boomers that built the social programs of today.

CPP, Old Age Security and for employees fortunate enough to be unionized, an employer pension make up their retirement income.

The governments that founded the CPP and Old Age Security depended on subsequent governments to fund these plans with sufficient foresight to keep them viable.

Most unions negotiated pensions that were coordinated with Old Age Security.

To be clear, in keeping with the governments theme that early retirement provided jobs for younger workers Unions negotiated basic pensions and bridge pensions.

The bridge pensions were negotiated to bridge an employee who retired early to age 65 at which time he/she received Old Age Security.

The government mismanaged the economy and did not encourage immigration or other initiatives to sustain an appropriate population growth and now finds itself with a shortage of potential workers.

The issue is further exacerbated by the government’s failure to implement an appropriate training program to maintain a skilled workforce.

The end result is the government's present budget which will result in employees working longer and having to wait for their Old Age Security until age 67 or maybe even later.

What will the government's answer be?

Now we know.

The answer is: Go to your union and have them take care of you in negotiations.

This email is to urge all the members of USW 2251 and all other workers to immediately start writing letters and emails to our MP Brian Hayes expressing their outrage over his government’s actions.

The provincial government has no reason to brag either.

This local union availed themselves of the Labour Relations Act and the Employment Standards Act to obtain cease and desist orders which were ignored.

This local Union sent a request to the Director of Employment Standards for assistance with respect to bringing Essar Steel Algoma Inc. into compliance with the Employment Standards Act.

In part, this is their response:

Based on the information before me there is nothing to suggest that the Union is precluded from taking action on behalf of the employees it represents in respects of these alleged contraventions of the ESA 2000.

On that basis, I am of the view that it would be inappropriate for me to exercise my discretion to allow a complaint to be filed or an investigation to be conducted by the Ministry of Labour on behalf of the employees represented by the USW Local 2251 in this matter.


Clearly, the Department of Labour is telling the union that enforcement of the Ontario Legislation is up to them and not the government.

Just another branch of government telling the citizens that elected them “you’re on your own”.

In closing, I am urging all the workers and retirees in Ontario and in Canada that we must stand up and insist that our government represent us and not simply business interests either national or international in nature.  

At the end of the day workers built this country and elected the governments.

Perhaps next time the choice will be something other than Conservative or Liberal.

Mike Da Prat, President  
USW Local 2251
 
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