OSSTF/FEESO Urges the Harper Conservatives to Support Canadian Workers

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 6, 2012) - The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) expresses its great disappointment in the federal government for not doing more to represent the interests of hard-working Canadians. This comes as a result of the announcement by the corporate giant Caterpillar to close its Electro-Motive Diesel factory in London, Ontario, throwing 465 skilled employees out of work.

OSSTF/FEESO has continued to support the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) who had been locked out by Caterpillar on January 1, 2012.

"The Harper Conservatives should support Canadian workers, not Caterpillar," said OSSTF/FESSO President Ken Coran. "They have seemingly missed the opportunity to prove that they have the best interests of Canadian workers in mind. However, the announcement by Caterpillar to suddenly close its London Electro-Motive Diesel plant is a slap in the face to the 465 skilled employees, their families and the community of London."

President Ken Coran is calling on the Federal government to fulfill its responsibility to fight on behalf of all hard-working Canadians when it comes to unreasonable demands made by highly profitable multi-national corporate giants like Caterpillar.

"By not getting involved and preventing this callous move, one can only assume that the Stephen Harper Government is entirely in the pocket of the corporate elite," added Coran. "A government elected by Canadians should do everything it can for Canadians, and I am personally ashamed and disappointed by the failure of the Conservative Government to protect hard-working citizens."

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, early childhood educators, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, university support staff, and many others in education.