A new OPSEU report says Ontario sent more than $1 billion last year to the top three private companies administering government-funded programs, raising fresh questions about public money, transparency and frontline community services as thousands of union members remain on strike or locked out across the province.
The Ontario Public Sector Employees Union report says private administrators received major provincial payments for work tied to services including Employment Ontario, Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program and the Ontario Autism Program.
OPSEU president JP Hornick said the report shows public dollars are moving into private systems with limited visibility.
“That is a waste of money,” said OPSEU president JP Hornick in an interview on Tuesday.
“This is an example of how the Ford government has taken public money and put it into black boxes so it’s impossible to trace.”
The report points to Accerta, which helps administer Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program and the Ontario Autism Program. According to OPSEU, provincial payments to Accerta rose from $202 million in 2018-2019 to $672 million in 2024-2025, more than tripling over that period.
Payments to WCG also climbed sharply, the report says. OPSEU describes WCG as a for-profit employment services administrator owned by an Australian company backed by U.S. private equity. Payments to the company increased 525 per cent, from $36 million in 2021 to $225 million in 2025.
Serco, the third private administrator named among the top three in the report, said it has operated in Canada for more than 30 years.
“Serco values the relationship we have built with Ontario, and we are proud to work within the direction and guidelines provided to us by the Ontario government in service of its citizens. We employ more than 1,100 professionals across the province and work closely with local organizations, including indigenous community groups, to deliver regionally focused programs and services. We look forward to being part of many more successes for Ontario and its citizens well into the future,” the statement from spokesperson Jake Weyant said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services did not address questions about the reason for the funding increase.
“Our government has made historic investments in the development services sector, including nearly $4 billion this year, an increase of $1.6 billion since we took office in 2018 to provide people with access to the services they need, when they need them,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“While collective bargaining is a matter between the employer and the union, we expect every service provider to have strong contingency plans to protect residents and ensure their care is not disrupted,” the spokesperson added.
Nearly 4,000 OPSEU members working in dozens of community organizations are now on strike or locked out. The union is seeking, among other demands, retroactive pay connected to Bill 124, the wage-cap law later ruled unconstitutional.
At Surrey Place in North York, where autism services are provided, about 80 workers joined a picket line, chanting and holding signs.
“Community services are worth fighting for!” said one woman with a bullhorn, referring to the tagline for the job action, “Worth fighting for,” which involves some 4000 workers provincewide.
Bel Reymundo, who works in the school support program at Surrey Place and serves as vice president of OPSEU Local 511, said workers want stronger public-sector funding and compensation for losses linked to Bill 124.
“Funding to developmental sector has definitely gone down. We have had ourselves over 50 layoffs in the past two years. Our waitlists have gotten longer and longer,” she said.
The report adds pressure on the province as the labour dispute continues and workers push for more funding, stronger staffing and clearer accountability in Ontario’s community service system.
