Union slams plans to move ServiceOntario kiosks into Staples and Walmart

An Ontario union is criticizing the Ford government’s plans to possibly move ServiceOntario into Staples and Walmart stores.

A provincial government plan to replace 11 ServiceOntario centres with Staples and Walmart kiosks was widely reported this week. And while the plan to put ServiceOntario into some Staples locations has been confirmed, the Ontario government hasn’t yet announced a plan to retrofit Walmart stores.

When asked about Walmart, a Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery spokesperson told insauga.com that no new agreements have been finalized.

But the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is criticizing the plans saying it was shocked to hear “multiple ServiceOntario locations into Staples and Walmart stores.”

Both stores are U.S. for-profit corporations, the union noted.

OPSEU believes this is just another move to “hand over public profits and services to grocery chain and big box store CEOs.”

“It is no coincidence that a Staples executive donated to Doug Ford’s leadership campaign,” said OPSEU/SEFPO president JP Hornick. “This move is further evidence that Doug Ford is not ‘for the people’ – he works for big business CEOs and his donors.”

OPSEU has raised serious concerns about ServiceOntario privatization and its impact on both quality and access to services.

A few years back, a privately-owned ServiceOntario in Belle River was shut down due to the owner’s health problems, the union said in the press release. This left a huge service gap for residents of Belle River, creating accessibility barriers to public services that should be easily available for all Ontarians.

There are currently 195 privately owned and operated ServiceOntario locations across the province, the release continues. While OPSEU does not represent workers at these locations, the union has called for all privatized ServiceOntario locations to be returned to the public.

“We continue to call on this government to put an end to their privatization agenda, return privatized ServiceOntario locations to the public and strengthen our public services,” said Hornick.

“Revenues from publicly owned and operated ServiceOntario locations get invested into the province – whereas a ServiceOntario in a Staples or Walmart will only make for-profit corporations and their shareholders richer. What’s more, workers at publicly operated ServiceOntario locations have union-backed power to negotiate with their employer for better wages and working conditions.”