Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario issued the following announcement on April 29.

Over the past few days, writers at the Toronto Sun have pontificated about whether public servants should be filling potholes or helping out in nursing homes (Sue-Ann Levy) or wondering aloud why they’re not being laid off since some are “doing nothing or close to it” (Brian Lilley).

Nothing could be further from the truth, with more than 60,000 public servants not only keeping pace with their busy jobs, but also tending to family care needs and some even squeezing in a little home schooling for good measure. While remote work has been a challenge, Ontario’s public service has been doing yeoman’s work—in and out of out of the office.

In a live press conference today, Premier Doug Ford responded to Lilley’s ponderings about layoffs, saying emphatically, “The government is still working, they are working remotely, but everyone is working… it’s not as if people have their feet up with a margarita in their hands!”

President Dave Bulmer expressed his thanks to the Premier. “A tip of our hats to the Premier for placing his trust in professional public servants throughout this crisis—and for his colourful defence in this instance,” he said. “The work of public servants has never been more important. AMAPCEO’s 14,000 members are giving their all to seamlessly continue Working for Ontario.”

More about AMAPCEO and our Members: Established in 1992, AMAPCEO is a bargaining agent that represents 14,000 professional and supervisory public servants, most of whom work directly for the Government of Ontario in every ministry and in a number of agencies, boards and commissions; in 130 communities throughout Ontario and in 12 cities outside Canada. We also represent employees outside the Ontario Public Service in: the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario; Health Quality Ontario; the Ontario Arts Council; Public Health Ontario; the Waypoint Mental Health Centre in Penetanguishene; and in the former Offices of the Ontario Child Advocate and the French Language Services Commissioner (now part of the Ontario Ombudsman).

Original source: https://amapceo.on.ca/premier-defends-public-service-professionals