OPSEU information picket protests privatization
Administrator | Mar 06, 2012 | Comments 3
Fellow OPSEU union members joined staff from the ServiceOntario office at Pitt Street on their lunch hour Monday to hold an information picket. The union is concerned that finance minister Dwight Duncan’s plan to create a “public-private partnership” for ServiceOntario will reduce access to front line services and jeopardize the security of Ontarians’ personal information.
ServiceOntario provides government identification including the enhanced driver’s license, health card, Ontario photo card, fishing and hunting cards. ServiceOntario expects to handle 48 million transactions in 2012.
Chris Cormier, executive board member for region 4 (Eastern Ontario OPSEU) said “further privatization will increase the risk of identity theft and fraud and all or part of the $2.7 billion that Service Ontario currently contributes to government revenues will go to the profit of a private corporation instead of helping to fund the public services we all rely on. ServiceOntario earns $10 in revenue for every $1 it spends.”
OPSEU Local 448 president Patti Markland noted the impact on the six local employess and 2,000 members across the province.
“People prefer to obtain valuable government documents in person from a professional public employee, not at a computer kiosk.”
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I’ve had the opportunity to use the Belleville Service Ontario outlet three time since they have been open. Once I had to sit and wait for about a half hour, and the other two times I had less than a five minute wait for service. All three times I found the staff friendly and helpful.
Laughable, very laughable. Belleville had a privately run licensing office for years. It had great parking, great staff and you never waited very long. Ever since the government took it over and closed the location down and moved it to Century Place, the service is horrible. People constantly wait a long time for service(take a number and sit) and for the most part staff is not friendly or helpful. I’d much rather deal with a privately run company.