A local union wants to be part of the solution to reopen the Service Ontario office in Arnprior.
Ontario Public Service Employees Union local 449 President Liam Vanderbraak says his team is ready to work with the private operator of the service centre on Madawaska Boulevard, which has been closed since early July, and provincial authorities to bring “accessible, local, and public services” to the community.
The closure has been more than just an inconvenience to Arnprior residents, who either have to head out of town or wrestle with digital platforms, a particular obstacle for older citizens.
Vanderbraak adds that it highlights a “significant drawback” to outsourcing government services to private entities.
OPSEU’s plan would see offices reopened under provincial ownership and with permanent, union-represented staff, a model that Vanderbraak notes is in place right now in Renfrew, Pembroke, and Petawawa.
He asserts that “in times like these, the intrinsic value of public service workers is vividly apparent,” adding that “strong, healthy communities are built on the bedrock of excellent public services delivered by committed and passionate public service workers.”
OPSEU Local 449 currently represents over 75 public sector workers between Renfrew and Fitzroy Harbour, including the Service Ontario office in Renfrew.
(written by Kasey Egan)