TORONTO, ON – The executive board of Ontario’s largest union has approved a half-million-dollar budget for the first phase of a campaign to stop the province’s selloff of Hydro One.
“Across the province, people are waking up to the reality that our transmission and distribution lines are being sold off. The public is losing control over its hydro network and of hydro rates,” said Fred Hahn, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario. “CUPE Ontario will do everything in our power to stop that reckless cash-grab.”
CUPE Ontario will use print and radio ads, and town halls, to mobilize members in coalition with community groups and individuals across the province committed to keeping Hydro One fully public.
“We encourage every Ontario resident to join us in this effort. We encourage more organizations to join the campaign and help build a strong voice to protect this vital public infrastructure. Advertising is an important tool in this fight, but a campaign is not about ads, it’s about people and, in politics, the people still hold the power,” he said. “That’s why step one is making sure people know the truth about why selling Hydro One is a very bad idea.”
Last week, CUPE Ontario released a legal opinion from Sack Goldblatt Mitchell stating Premier Kathleen Wynne cannot legally sell Hydro One and divert proceeds into her infrastructure plan. With the Ed Clark report on privatizing assets now made public, CUPE is working with its legal team to carefully evaluate it and plan next steps.
“Make no mistake, CUPE is prepared to take Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals to court to stop their desperate cash-grab. We’re not going to let them sell out our children and grandchildren,” he said.
Fred Hahn is available for interviews and will be at the Ontario legislature for tomorrow’s provincial budget announcement.
CUPE is Ontario’s community union, with members providing quality public services we all rely on, in every part of the province, every day. CUPE Ontario members are proud to work in social services, health care, municipalities, school boards, universities and airlines.
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For more information, please contact:
Craig Saunders, CUPE Communications, 416-576-7316
