For Immediate Release:
February 18, 2010
Queens Park – In what seems to be a recurring theme at the Ontario Legislature, a Government Minister accused Haldimand Norfolk’s MPP of divisiveness when pressed on what the Labour Ministry has done to get Lake Erie Steelworkers back on the job.
MPP Toby Barrett was accused of engaging in “divisive ways to separate groups” by Minister of Labour Peter Fonseca following a question on what action his ministry has taken to save local jobs.
“A question to the Premier. Well over 1,000 Steelworkers at US Steel in Nanticoke have been laid off and locked out since last March – they’ve been out in the cold for almost a year now,” Barrett intoned. “My question to you, Premier: Have you or has your minister met with the company? Have you met with the Steelworkers? Have you taken any steps whatsoever to save these jobs?”
While refusing to directly answer the question, the Minister instead chose to state his pride in the Ministry’s focus and labour dispute record.
“My focus and the Ministry of Labour’s focus is always to work with the parties so that they can put their differences aside,” replied Fonseca. “Our labour relations record today.”
Barrett followed up by returning to the original question of exactly what the ministry is doing in the US Steel Nanticoke situation.
“I don’t think you’ve done anything. It has been almost a year. Families are being split apart, people are losing their homes.” Barrett fired back. “You haven’t met with the mayors of Norfolk, Hamilton and Haldimand. I’ll make this very clear: You don’t have your mediation team working 24/7 on this one. What have you personally done in the past year to get a thousand Steelworkers back to work?”
Without any action steps to report the Minister resorted to finger pointing in his final retort.
“Unlike the member here who looks at divisive ways of separating groups, we look at bringing them together.” Fonseca stated. “As I said, our labour relations system is one of the best in the world and the mediation team there works as hard as they can to do all that they can to assist the parties.”
Union Leadership of 8782 report that while they have met with government representatives, to this date they have received no clear intention regarding any action to achieve resolution.
Unsatisfied with any of the Minister’s responses, Barrett requested a late show debate to make another attempt at getting an answer to his questions. The late show debate is scheduled for Tuesday the 23rd at 6pm.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629
Labour dispute
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
February 18, 2010
Mr. Toby Barrett: A question to the Premier. Well over 1,000 Steelworkers at US Steel in Nanticoke have been laid off and locked out since last March. They’ve been out in the cold for almost a year now.
My question to you, Premier: Have you or has your minister met with the company? Have you met with the Steelworkers? Have you taken any steps whatsoever to save these jobs?
Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Labour.
Hon. Peter Fonseca: To the member’s question, the Ministry of Labour has an experienced, knowledgeable mediation team that is always there to work with the parties. I mentioned yesterday a labour dispute that is happening, not this one but I’ll speak to this one in particular. My focus and the Ministry of Labour’s focus is always to work with the parties so that they can put their differences aside, so that they can come back to the table and find that common ground where they can get a collective agreement done.
We respect the collective bargaining process. It has worked very well for Ontario. Our labour relations record today is the best it has ever been in 30 years. Over 97% of all collective agreements are done without any work stoppage, but we always encourage the parties to—
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. Supplementary.
Mr. Toby Barrett: Back to the Premier. I don’t think you’ve done anything. It has been almost a year. Families are being split apart, people are losing their homes. This is a foreign-owned company. Have you met with the federal government? Do you have a policy for primary industry? You haven’t met with the mayors of Norfolk, Hamilton and Haldimand. I’ll make this very clear: You don’t have your mediation team working 24/7 on this one. What have you personally done in the past year to get a thousand Steelworkers back to work?
Hon. Peter Fonseca: The member is wrong. This is an active file, and what I can say is that our mediation team is always looking for ways to assist the parties to get them back to the table, to work through those differences. Unlike the member here who looks at divisive ways of separating groups, we look at bringing them together.
As I said, our labour relations system is one of the best in the world and the mediation team there works as hard as they can to do all that they can to assist the parties. That is the right thing to do. The wrong thing to do is what the member is doing here, and that is dividing the parties, dividing the community. We do not agree.
Notice of dissatisfaction
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Pursuant to standing order 30(a), the member for Haldimand–Norfolk has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Minister of Labour concerning US Steel. This matter will be debated next Tuesday at 6 p.m.