By Rick Pusiak
A news blackout is in effect, but striking provincial employees in Sudbury were cautiously optimistic Tuesday following the resumption of contract talks in Toronto.
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Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) representatives and government officials were scheduled to meet separately with a mediator.
If the vibes are good and there's enough common ground both sides could soon meet face to face.
Union members have been on strike for three weeks as of Wednesday, April 3, 2002.
Local OPSEU staff representative Denis Boyer said the union had been waiting for the government to make some signs they were prepared to negotiate.
"We've maintained from the onset that anytime theyÂ?re prepared to be there so are we," said Boyer.
"So we're just following through with a promise we made to our members early on."
Picket lines will remain up during negotiations. Union members will also continue to try to educate members of the public attempting to cross the lines.
Boyer, meanwhile, said it's not out of the ordinary for a mediator to have a false start or two.
But the fact that a mediator has determined there is enough goodwill to start initial discussions is good news.
"At this point (union members) have got hope that this may bear some fruit," said the staff representative.
"By the same token, they're maintaining the lines and the morale is high."
When a strike ends, going back in is not always easy, but Boyer expects an orderly resumption when the time comes.
"It won't be without some hiccups," said the union official.
"There certainly will be some hard feelings that will have to be worked out. Ultimately that's part of the process...part of what we do when a strike is over is we try to go in and we try to mend some fences."
Some 45,000 members of OPSEU in the province hit the bricks March 13 following a breakdown in negotiations with the province on a new contract. The old deal expired at the end of December.
While wages are an issue in the dispute, union members have gone on record as saying pensions and safety are the key concerns.
On the same day contract talks resumed with the province, Ministry of Natural Resources employees, who are also members of OPSEU, issued a news release advising that technicians are no longer supervising dams controlling levels of dozens of lakes and rivers in the Sudbury area.
Dam operation is identified as an emergency service in the essential service agreement but the release states technicians will only perform the service when flooding is predicted or is taking place.
No preparations for spring runoff are underway including removal of snow from dams, maintenance of equipment or cleaning logs from spillways is taking place, the statement said.
"In the Sudbury area, residents, cottage owners and tourist operators on lakes Penage and Nepewassi are asked to be especially vigilant," reads the release.
For more information, visit www.opseu.org or www.gov.on.ca/MBS/english/
