Staff
The Ministry of Natural Resources announced Tuesday it is cutting 102 jobs in 24 district offices across Ontario, including three at the Fort Frances office.
However, it also announced it will hire for 250 jobs, a combination of new and vacant positions in regional and district offices. This all is part of the MNR’s transformation plan as announced in the 2012 budget
According to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, there is a total of 24 layoffs in the Northwest Region. These include the aforementioned three in Fort Frances, seven in Dryden, three in Kenora, two in Red Lake, two in Sioux Lookout and seven in Thunder Bay.
Field staff from the Terrace Bay work centre are to be relocated.
Jobs cut include administrative support staff, digital mapping staff, regulatory compliance staff, foresters and biologists.
OPSEU said that “it appears that overall staffing levels, and specifically, field staff levels will not be reduced if the Ministry follows through on its promise to hire for 250 jobs at the regional and district office level.
“However, the type of jobs the Ministry intends to hire is changing. The administrative support and digital mapping positions targeted in this round of layoffs are not coming back. As well, staffing levels are clearly being reduced in five area offices and two work centres.”
