1950s

1950

• Faced with a government refusal to meet with paid CSAO staff present, the organization's board resigns and an emergency meeting votes to join the Trades and Labour Congress. The bluff works, and the moribund JAC starts meeting again, although decisions are still made in the premier's office.

1951

• The civil service moves to a five-day week; employees get four weeks' holiday after 25 years' service.

• CSAO gets a new head office – a 10-room house on Isabella St. Tory Premier Leslie Frost, a major donor to the building fund, cuts the ribbon. New CSAO logo features the trillium and the motto: Modern, Loyal, Efficient.

1952

• CSAO goes broke after investing in a rather splendid club house. The executive and the entire staff of three resign. Harold Bowen leads a slate of officers who take over and nurture CSAO into an independent labour organization. He will be a dominant force in the organization for two decades. (Bowen was president 1953 to 1957 and held executive secretary, general manager and chief negotiator positions between 1958 and 1972.)

1954

• 85 per cent of civil servants have joined CSAO. Dues are doubled to $6 a month.

1955

• Bowen forces the JAC to recognize CSAO as the organization representing civil servants. “Bargaining” consists of briefs to the premier, not demands tabled with managers.

1956

• The Civil Service Commission stops discriminating against married women in employment. Within two years, the proportion of women in the OPS who are married reaches 50 per cent, up from 10 per cent. They start demanding equal pay.

• The Annual General Meeting (the precursor to today's annual Convention) amends CSAO's charter to spell out a full range of union functions. CSAO sets up a grievance committee.

1957

• Bowen becomes General Manager and pushes for bargaining instead of arbitration.

• A large emergency meeting at the King Edward Hotel has delegates demanding rights. Members are unhappy with pay offers from Queen's Park.

1959

• CSAO makes a militant push for bargaining rights, a grievance system and higher pay.

• The JAC gets its first permanent secretary. A Public Service Grievance Board is created to hear appeals of management decisions. It also hears appeals of dismissals and discipline. This is a response to the organization's show of militancy.

CSAO President Harold Bowen (Centre), with new Civil Service Association of Ontario logo.

CSAO members demonstrate for
bargaining rights 1959.