It’s a tough sell, but Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan is preparing to sit down with union leaders and ask public sector workers to take a wage freeze.

The move, which would affect approximately one million workers, could trim as much as $750 million in the first year it's implemented. In his budget speech in March, Duncan warned there would be no money for pay hikes once current contracts expire.

Ontario is currently dealing with a $20 billion deficit.

Duncan will head into talks with 60 top union and management leaders in Toronto on Tuesday. In its last budget, the provincial government put a two-year wage freeze in effect for MPPs and non-unionized public workers.

The province has ruled out merging Crown corporations, including the LCBO, Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One and the OLG, into a "SuperCorp" and selling off a portion.