Get
out and vote!
Next week, OPS members across Ontario will cast
their ballots. This is a reminder to all members to get out and
vote!
The bargaining teams have recommended the
following:
Central Collective Agreement
The Central Collective Agreement covers ALL
members in the OPS. The Central Bargaining Team recommends
members vote YES to the Central Tentative Agreement. You can get
more information on the agreement
here
Unified Bargaining Unit Agreement
The Unified Bargaining Unit agreement covers all
members in the OPS EXCEPT those members in the Corrections
Bargaining Unit. The Unified Bargaining Team recommends members
vote YES to the Unified Tentative Agreement. You can get more
information on the agreement
here.
Corrections Bargaining Unit Agreement
The Corrections Bargaining Unit agreement covers
ONLY members in the Corrections Bargaining Unit. The Corrections
Bargaining Team recommends members vote NO to the employer’s
offer. You can get more information on the offer
here..
The teams have asked that as many members as
possible cast their ballots. When it comes to ratification
votes, the results have a real impact on the next round of
bargaining. For rejection votes, the impact is felt almost
immediately.
“Four years from now, the employer will refer
back to the results of our ratification vote,” said
Central/Unified Bargaining Team chair Eric Morin. “They will use
the number of members who voted as a yardstick to gauge member
interest, and that will affect how things unfold at the table.”
Corrections Bargaining Team chair David Kerr
can’t stress enough how important it is for Corrections to have
a high voter turnout.
“Our strength at the bargaining table depends on
two things: how high the strike vote is, and how high the member
turnout is,” Kerr said. “We need everybody to vote, so the
employer knows this bargaining unit means business.
Voting takes place Jan. 27-29. Locations and
times are posted on the OPSEU website at
http://www.opseu.org/ops/barg2008/vote-locations-2009.htm.
Questions answered
Many members have asked questions regarding how
the actual vote is being conducted, e.g. what happens if a
member’s name is not on the voter’s list.
A list of questions and answers is posted on the
OPSEU website at
http://www.opseu.org/ops/barg2008/vote-questions-and-answers.htm.
Members can also contact their local presidents with any
inquiries.
Court Reporters’ campaign ongoing
The campaign continues to stop the Ministry of
the Attorney General’s harmful plan to take away transcript work
from court reporters and give it to regional typing pools.
The Central/Unified Bargaining Team did present
the employer a comprehensive position on this issue. However,
the employer would not make any substantial moves to resolve it
at the bargaining table.
OPSEU is urging members to keep the pressure on
Attorney General Chris Bentley. On June 1, the union will return
to Grievance Settlement Board Vice-Chair Randi Abramsky to try
to resolve the issue.
A Jan. 17 article in the Toronto Star quotes a
letter written to Bentley from the Criminal Lawyers Association,
outlining their concerns with the proposed changes. This shows
the union’s message is getting out there.
“The administration of justice is at serious
risk if transcript production is not kept with the skilled
professionals who are in the courtroom and are familiar with the
case,” said mobilizer and court reporter Helen Haggith.
Original authorized for distribution:
Eric Morin, Chair
Central/Unified Team
David Kerr, Chair
Corrections Team
Warren (Smokey) Thomas,
President
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
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