THUNDER BAY -- Police were called to the scene of an information picket Tuesday after a protester’s foot was run over by a car trying to squeeze through the line.
The sign-carrying protester, a corrections officer at the Thunder Bay District Jail, was not hurt in the afternoon incident, which took place while Ontario Public Service Employees Union workers marched in front of Mini Queen’s Park on James Street in a show of support for contract negotiations with the province were set to begin.
“There was a minor altercation with a vehicle that didn’t slow down and clipped one our member’s feet. But other than that, that’s about all I can talk to on that,” said Neil MacDonald, an OPSEU mobilizer who headed the non-violent protest.
“There are no apparent injuries at this time, so we’re happy about that.”
Fellow union workers copied down the licence plate of the suspect’s car, and turned the information over to police, who investigated the incident.
About 1,700 local OPSEU workers will be without a contract when 2012 ends.
MacDonald said while they’re not expecting trouble at the negotiating table, he felt it was important to get behind union officials as the process of developing a new contract begins.
“We’re out here to show our support to our bargaining teams so that we can get the fairest and best contract that we can in this round of bargaining,” said MacDonald.
One issue looms large, he added.
“We do not want to see our public services privatized,” MacDonald said. “It seems to be that the general theme of this government is they want to privatize as many of our public services as possible. We as public employees do not want to see our jobs lost.
“First and foremost we are Ontarians and we want our public services, we want our e-health, our health cards, our driver’s licenses, birth certificates and marriage licenses, we want all of those services to stay in the public sector.”
In addition to potential job losses through privatization, MacDonald said OPSEU members are concerned about accountability.
“We want to keep government on tract and make sure our services stay in the public sector.”
He was happy with the turnout, which saw a couple of dozen union members slow traffic trying to enter the James Street government building.
“We had people who have taken the day off work to be here, people who have come off of night shift to show their support for our bargaining team,” he said.
A second protest is planned for later this month on Red River Road.
