June 16, 2005

Local 232/257 Ratification Vote
Thurs. June 23 
8:00 am to 6 pm

CAW Hall
611 Silvercreek Pkwy N., 
Guelph

(same location as the previous vote)

519-822-6121

June 14, 2005

Local 232/257 OPS Contract
Information Meeting
Wed. June 15, 5:30 pm
Holiday Inn Ballroom
601 Scottsdale Dr.
Guelph

June 11, 2005

Ontario provincial employees reach tentative contract deal

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union today reached a tentative agreement with the province that paves the way for rebuilding Ontario’s damaged public services.

OPSEU President Leah Casselman said the four-year agreement contains major breakthroughs for 42,000 government employees, particularly for the thousands of casual “unclassified” workers who run the province’s overloaded court system.

“This agreement is a significant step in resolving some longstanding inequities in the public service,” Casselman said. “Our bargaining teams must be commended for their determination to undo the damage caused by 10 years of cuts to services and jobs.”

Details of the tentative agreement include:

Wage increases totaling 9.75 per cent over four years. Most of the province’s 4,500 Correctional Officers will also receive an added step of three per cent to the pay grid;

Agreement on an enforceable pay equity plan that will help solve job classification issues;

• A drug card for all employees who receive benefits under the agreement;
• Job security language that guarantees job training and government-wide bumping rights for surplus employees;
• Extension of Factor 80 early retirement provisions for surplus employees;
• More than 1,400 casual “unclassified” workers will be rolled into permanent jobs in the public service, with access to benefits;
• An agreement to reduce the use of unclassified employees over the term of the contract.

OPSEU members are to vote on the deal June 21-23. They voted down the government’s previous offer two weeks ago, and empowered their bargaining teams to call a strike, if necessary. No strike deadline was set.

“This agreement could not have been won without our strike mandate,” said Marg Simmons, chair of the unified bargaining team. “The government moved significantly on our issues over the past two weeks.”

Barry Scanlon, chair of the OPSEU corrections team, said the deal shows that the government respects the significant role played by correctional workers in ensuring public safety.

-30-

for further details and links to the tentative agreements.

May 28, 2005

OPSEU members reject offer from McGuinty Liberals

TORONTO, May 28 /CNW/ - Members of the Ontario Public Service have voted 65 per cent to reject a contract offer from the provincial government and to give their bargaining team a strike mandate.

In a province-wide vote held May 25-27, OPSEU members re-affirmed their commitment to making gains after years of Tory cuts. The turnout was 66 per cent of the bargaining unit.

"This mandate gives us the ability to return to the bargaining table and tell government negotiators to start real bargaining," said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. "This contract is all about repairing and rebuilding public services in this province."

Casselman said she is pleased that members are sticking to the demands they asked for last fall, and that support for the bargaining teams remains strong.

"Our members are determined," Casselman said. "They want to see improvements to benefits and improvements for those working as unclassified staff. They want to see better job security language, especially since McGuinty plans to lay off 6,000 more workers.

"Dalton McGuinty has to start living up to his promises," Casselman said. "The best way to begin rebuilding public services is to settle this contract. Our members deserve to be treated with respect for the services they provide, often under the most stressful and difficult circumstances." 

The union has not yet set a strike deadline. Bargaining teams plan to continue talks with the government on Monday, May 30.

For further information: OPSEU Communications: Don Ford, (416) 788-9104

May 23, 2005

12 Reasons to say (Vote) NO to the Employer's (substandard) Offer

Employer takeaway #1 - Separation Allowances gone (Article 20.3) The employer offer eliminates separation allowance for our members who face lay-off. This means you take the hit financially at the point you are laid off. This is worth a lot of money to any individual. 

Employer takeaway #2 - Termination pay gone for young workers. Frozen entitlement for other members (Article 53) Article 53 is triggered if you resign. The employer is proposing that this right be totally be eliminated for employees with less than five years service. For employees with more than five years service, your entitlement will be frozen.  The employer wants to prevent newly hired employees from getting this right at all.

Termination payments have been a right for employees in the OPS since the 1970. OPSEU members walked the picket line to save this right in 1996.

Employer takeaway #3 - Classification limbo continues
14,000 of you have claimed you are wrongly classified. 4,000 cases are stacked up trying to be resolved by a process designed to fail. That’s because an equal number of employer and union reps must agree before a case is resolved, and there is no access to arbitration.

The employer is offering, using weasel words, to undertake a review and consider a possible new job evaluation system. If we agree to this proposal, we must also agree to a moratorium on classification grievances and our legitimate right to grieve our classification. The employer also wants the Union to give up our right to challenge violations of the Pay Equity Act. Translation: The employer does not agree to fix the classification system and suggests breaking the Pay Equity law.

Employer takeaway #4 - Job security language rolled-back 
Currently, if you are surplused then you have the right to redeploy to another position if you are minimally qualified. Now, the employer wants to make it almost impossible to redeploy if you are surplussed or bumped. The employer wants to change that to read “qualified.” Results: unless you are moving into the exact job you held before, you are out the door. OPSEU members have had the right to redeploy where they are minimally qualified since the late 1970’s. Why would we embrace a proposal that eliminates our ability to maintain employment?

Employer takeaway #5 - Factor 80 gone
The employer offered Surplus Factor 80 until March 31, 2006. Under the employer’s proposal Factor 80 would be available for surplused members only and only from January 1 2005 to March 31, 2006. Your teams want full Factor 80 to continue. The employer has the money to pay for it from their rate stabilization fund. In fact, they have over $359 million in this account that can only be used for pension related matters - nothing else. Over the next 3 years, almost 3800 OPS members would be eligible for Factor 80. It would cost approximately $170 million - less than half of what's in the account. OPSEU has paid for Factor 80 for the last 2 rounds - it's time the Employer paid. We say if people want to retire early, once they have the right combination of age and years of service, they should be able to leave when they want to. The employer’s offer is unacceptable.

Employer takeaway #6 - Health and Safety – Eye exams
This is a significant concession for any member working with a computer for any length of time. The employer has proposed a rewrite of the Health and Safety VDT language. A new definition of a computer operator would be as “one who operates a computer for 6 and ½ consecutive hours. The employer’s offer deletes the initial eye exam even though this is an important benchmark for members. The annual eye exam would be shifted to an examination every two years. Translation: the employer doesn’t seem to care about health and safety. 

Employer takeaway #7 - “Modern” Recruitment methods: ‘Omnibus posting’ introduced 
The employer’s offer introduces a new method of posting jobs. They want to use ‘pool and/or pipeline hiring’ for anticipated or existing vacancies so they can then place the right person in the right job at the right time. You apply for the position when it is posted. Then you are expected to be left waiting on stand-by. You have to apply when it is posted or you lose access to the job. Names stay in the pool for 12 months. If you are not in the pool, then you lose. (Article 6.2 change) 

Employer takeaway #8 - Your wages move down, not up
The employer’s offer of 2 per cent, 2 per cent, and 2 per cent.  The two per cent rate increase is applied to the classification range as a general wage increase.

The employer’s wage offer will actually cost you money. With inflation currently running at 2.4 per cent, everything you buy costs 2.4 per cent more than it did last year. A two per cent wage increase actually equals a net loss of at least 0.4 per cent per year. This wage offer is too low.

The employer has proposed with very convoluted language to maintain max + merit step at 3 per cent. Members who have been at the top of their grid for 12 months will receive it. Members who are not currently at the top of their grid will receive max+ merit when they have been at the top of the grid for 12 months.

All max+merit increases still depend on the employer’s assessment of your satisfactory performance.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this language will give you an additional 3 per cent. It doesn’t. It is the continuation of a right that was won by spending 54 days on the picket line in 2002. This right is already yours and you aren’t getting anything extra. Simply put, there is no new money to the max + merit.

And on special cases, bargaining teams tabled 50 “special cases” to address these inequities. The employer has addressed five. Not good enough!

Back in September 2004 - OPSEU members submitted fair and reasonable demands after years of Tory cutbacks.

Improvements for benefits - Zero
Improvements to the OPS benefit plan are long overdue. Semi - private hospital coverage, vision care coverage and dental coverage is badly outdated. And what about a drug card? The employer’s offer on these and all other benefits improvements is…nothing.

Improvements for unclassifieds - Zero
Every single demand put forward by your bargaining team to make improvements for unclassified workers was completely and utterly ignored. Every one. Nearly one-third of Ontario’s public service is made up of unclassified workers - a number that continues to grow. Classified and unclassified workers must stand together and stop this exploitation. 

This is particularly shameful for court workers. Appendix 25 was won out of the last strike. After a pilot project to look at the of irregularly, scheduled part-time unclassified employees, the Ministry of Attorney-General made specific recommendations to go to the bargaining table. The employer hasn’t tabled a single one.

Pay-for-Performance
Despite the fact that the Tories failed to implement Pay for Performance, the language for that concept is still in our collective agreement. We want it gone. The employer wants it to stay. We wonder why…

Job Security Improvements and Successor rights.
Having successor rights means that if an employer sells, divests, downloads or contracts out part or all of its work, the employees move with the work. The employees also keep their union, and their union contract. Harris eliminated these rights in 1995. Dalton McGuinty promised OPSEU he would restore successor rights.

The McGuinty Liberals have said they plan to eliminate 6,000 OPS jobs. The return of successor rights will mean that OPSEU members will be protected if their work is transferred out of the OPS. It’s time we got these rights back!

To summarize, that is 8 very serious employer takeaways and NO to our demands.

12 reasons to say NO.

May 20, 2005

Local 232/257 Contract Vote
Friday May 27 8:00 am to 6 pm

CAW Hall
611 Silvercreek Pkwy N., Guelph

519-822-6121

Shuttle Buses will be running between the 1 Stone Road Complex (from the north door by the Security Desk) and the CAW Hall from 12 noon to 2 pm.

May 15, 2005

Local 232/257 Pre-Vote 
Information Meeting

May 18 at 5 pm

 Harpos Banquet Hall
89 Dawson Road (just off Speedvale Ave West)
Guelph

From Stone Road take Edinburgh to Speedvale 
- turn left - left again onto Dawson 
(Harpos is on the left)

Apr 24, 2005

Local 232/257 (Joint) General Meeting

Friday April 29, 2005 
11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Room 406 - 1 Stone Road Complex (Guelph)

Apr 21, 2005

OPS Leadership to meet to maximize pressure on the employer

OPS leaders will get together on Saturday, April 23rd for a day of training, planning and strategizing to maximize pressure on the employer as the bargaining teams call for conciliation.

for more details

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Apr 20, 2005

Bargaining teams apply for conciliation

For all intents and purposes bargaining has ground to a halt. Both bargaining teams have applied for conciliation in an attempt to move the process along. "We have been without a contract for nearly four months," says Marg Simmons, Chair of the Central Bargaining Team. "The employer is moving bargaining along at the speed of a person emptying a swimming pool with an eye-dropper. The only way to get them to be serious about this is to show them that we are serious."

Conciliation has been requested by the Union in accordance with Section 18 (1) of the Labour Relations Act. Section 18(1) states "…the Minister, upon the request of either party, shall appoint a conciliation officer to confer with the parties and endeavor to effect a collective agreement."

Under Ontario law, conciliation continues until the two parties reach either an agreement or an impasse in bargaining. If conciliation fails, there is a period of approximately 17 days until union members can strike or the employer can lock them out.

"We hope the employer gets the message – get serious and put a good offer on the table" says Barry Scanlon, chair of the Corrections Bargaining Team.

Apr 15, 2005

Convention 2005 Highlights

Leah Casselman re-elected to a 6th term as OPSEU President 
for more details

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OPS Bargaining Update

What's on the Table - Issues that affect YOU! 
for the Issues Fact sheets

Work to Contract - details coming soon!

Note: Notification about a general OPS layoff notice covering April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2007 was sent to all ministry staff this past week. This is a requirement of the Employment Standards Act (Ministry of Labour) where potential layoffs of 50 or more, may occur anywhere within the Ontario Public Service. The email message indicated to contact your Union for more information. Therefore, be sure to attend future OPSEU Local bargaining update meetings - coming up in the very near future.

Apr 15, 2005

The Source - the factual report from your OPS bargaining teams

Click on the date to download a pdf copy of "The Source"

April 15, 2005 The wage question. It's time to fix the classification grievance process. Provincial Auditors Report. Trust. Spotlight on your work: Lab Technician/Scientist, Administrative Support Staff (OAG 8). The Sunshine Club - 14th edition

April 8, 2005 Benefits and pensions: Why are we so behind? No parachutes for long-term OPSEU members. New dog...old tricks. Spotlight on your work: Program Review Officer, Systems Officers. The Sunshine Club - 13th edition.

April 1, 2005 Issues bargaining begins in earnest. Correctional workers deserve fair treatment. Bargaining Glossary - Part 2. Phone polling now underway. Spotlight on your work: Transportation Enforcement Officer, Income Support Specialist. The Sunshine Club - 12th edition.

March 24, 2005 OLRB rules employer is guilty of non-compliance. Bargaining Glossary. Spotlight on your work: Corridor Management Officer, Rehabilitation Officer. The Sunshine Club – eleventh edition.

March 18, 2005 Government still stuck on zero option. Light at the end of the tunnel. Joint committee meets on Appendix 25. The 'Black and Blue' campaign stirs controversy. Spotlight on your work: Environmental Officer, Verification Officer. The Sunshine Club - tenth edition. 'American Sign Language' to tell McGuinty government - No More Cuts!

March 11, 2005 Members voices heard, employer comes to the table. Employer refuses to bargain issues with Corrections Team. Diary response overwhelming. News from the employer 'compound'. Spotlight on your work: Court Clerk/Court Registrar Office Administration - OAG 6/OAG 8; Client Services Representative - Courts Office Administration - OAG 8. The Sunshine Club - ninth edition.

March 4, 2005 Bargaining the members' agenda. Inmates bribed during last strike. Are You Ready? Spotlight on your work: Outreach Co-ordinator, Oakridge Attendant. The Sunshine Club - eighth edition.

February 25, 2005 Are we really bargaining for what is essential? Is the government planning to lock us out? The Sunshine Club - seventh edition. Meet the staff at the OPS Bargaining Centre. E-mail Alert. MBS confirms the obvious.

February 18, 2005 THE SOURCE: The factual report from the OPS Bargaining Teams Chair of the OLRB decides on Corrections ESAs. Essential Services Negotiations Ongoing. The Sunshine Club - sixth edition. This week's team member profiles: Bob Houston, Len Mason.

Feb 13, 2005

Local 232 General Meeting

February 16, 2005 at 12 Noon

Room 301 - 1 Stone Road Complex (Guelph)

The Source (previous editions) - the factual report from your OPS bargaining teams

Click on the date to download a pdf copy of "The Source"

February 11, 2005 Essential Services negotiations continue. Where are the Ontario Liberals going with privately-operated jails and youth centers? The wait continues. Hide-a-manager program (HAMP). The Sunshine Club - fifth edition. Do not use government e-mail! This week's team member profiles: Moira Cowan, Ken Fraser

February 4, 2005 Rotation Round Two! CO-START - Rip Off? The Sunshine Club - fourth edition. This week's team member profiles: Rheal Delaquis, Dave Graves
January 28, 2005 Union Proposals for Renewal of the Collective Agreement. Employer demands "Wage Freeze" for Corrections. Manager tells probation staff that McGuinty message is "unprofessional". The Sunshine Club - third edition. Team profile: Linda Thibert, Joe Wright.
January 20, 2005 OPSEU responds to "zero" application for corrections. A Short History on Rotation. Team profile: Beth Anich, Brian Chauvin.
January 14, 2005 Tory friendly law firm delivers Liberal government message. Employer Refuses To Discuss Issues. What's Happening, Eh? More sunshine! Will your community be safe? Team profile: Paul Myers, Jack Hopkins.
January 7, 2005 Management credibility at Essential Services Table non-existent. "Essential Service" surveys needed. Good day sunshine! OPS Bargaining Teams make a donation. Team profile: Doug Peebles, Glenna Caldwell.
December 17, 2004   Demanding the demands. Corrections demands. Access allowed to OPSEU website. Mobilizing - a great start. Team profile: Sandra Noad, Carl Thibodeau.
December 10, 2004   Essential Services: we don't like them either. Right to Strike versus Binding Arbitration. Team profile: Eric Morin, Robert Curran.
December 3, 2004  OLRB rules on essential services framework. Policy on leaves of absence for locals with 750+ signed members. Unclassified working group plans strategy.
November 26, 2004 - Issue 1 of "The Source": the factual report from your OPS bargaining teams.  The clock is ticking. Government claims legal right to use SCABS during a strike/lockout. Member mobilizers integral to bargaining.  Black Tuesdays.  Team profile: Marg Simmons, John Watson.

Nov 29, 2004

Local 232 General Meeting

December 3, 2004 at 12 Noon

Room 206 - 1 Stone Road Complex (Guelph)

Agenda:	Election of Delegates to Jan 22/23 OPS Divisional Meeting
	Bargaining Update - Doug Peebles Region 2 Rep on the Bargaining Team

 Pizza & Pop Provided

November 26, 2004

The Source
November 26, 2004 - Issue 1 of "The Source": the factual report from your OPS bargaining teams.  The clock is ticking. Government claims legal right to use SCABS during a strike/lockout. Member mobilizers integral to bargaining.  Black Tuesdays.  Team profile: Marg Simmons, John Watson.

for complete pdf copy of this edition.

November 16, 2004

Member mobilizers get to work as contract talks approach

Some 36 OPSEU member mobilizers are now on the job and coming soon to OPS workplaces.

The mobilizers are key links between OPSEU bargaining teams and members. Mobilizers provide updates to locals, take member feedback to the bargaining teams, and work directly with locals on creative activities to build support for the teams.

In this round, “creative activities” could involve everything from workplace action to lobbying MPPs. Right now, mobilizers are asking members to complete a brief survey called “It’s time to put a face on public services.” The survey will collect information that can help explain to politicians and the public the vitally important work OPSEU members do.

Member mobilizer contact info

Guelph  (519) 837-3330 1-800-265-2660
Hamilton  (905) 525-5527 1-800-263-8827

Phone poll seeks your input

OPSEU members in the OPS may get a phone call from a polling company this week. The union has hired Viewpoints Research to survey OPSEU members to ask a series of questions related to OPS bargaining. If you are called, please take a few minutes to respond. The poll is one of many methods the union is using to listen to members and get their input as contract talks draw near.

for complete pdf copy of this edition.

October 4, 2004

OPS bargaining teams elected

OPSEU bargaining teams for the upcoming round of OPS contract negotiations have now been elected.

The two-step process wrapped up on Saturday, Oct. 2 when delegates to the Central Bargaining Conference elected team members to represent unclassified workers and those in the Administrative, Office Administration, Institutional & Health Care, and Technical/Operational & Maintenance categories.

Delegates to the regional bargaining conferences held Sept. 18 had already elected one central team member from each OPSEU region, as well as the Corrections category bargaining team.

OPSEU OPS bargaining teams, October 2004

Central/Unified team:

Marg Simmons (Chair), Central Enforcement and Renewal Committee
Linda Thibert, OPSEU Region 1
Doug Peebles, Region 2
Kathleen Demareski, Region 3
Rhéal Delaquis, Region 4
Paul Myers, Region 5
Eric Morin (Vice-Chair), Region 6
John Watson, Region 7
Bob Houston, Administrative category
Brian Chauvin, Corrections category
Carl Thibodeau, Institutional & Health Care category
Sandra Noad, Office Administration category
Beth Anich, Office Administration category
Ken Fraser, Technical/Operational & Maintenance category
Moira Cowan, Unclassified members

Corrections team:

Jack Hopkins, OPSEU Region 1
Barry Scanlon, Region 2
Glenna Caldwell, Region 3
Rob Curran, Region 4
Dave Graves, Region 5
Joe Wright, Region 6
Len Mason, Region 7

for a complete pdf copy of this edition.

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