Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and Canadian Union of Public Employee (CUPE) members are picketing outside the offices of MPPs this week, including locally.
The unions say they’re frustrated by years of underfunding and are demanding more money for the frontline community services they provide.
They’ve been demonstrating in communities across the province, including outside of MPP Vic Fedeli’s office in North Bay.
Fedeli, however, is in Europe on a trade mission in his capacity as Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
About 20 union members were also picketing at the bottom of the overpass into West Ferris on Thursday.
In the meantime, the union representing workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board says picket lines are being set up after its latest talks with the employer proved fruitless.
High workloads, that OCEU/CUPE says are driving up rates of depression and anxiety, are one of the main issues.
The union is in a legal strike position.
Along with Toronto and North Bay, picket lines are forming in Kingston, London, Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins, and Windsor.
