1970s (continued)

1976

• National Union of Provincial Government Employees (NUPGE) is formed as a vehicle for provincial government employee unions to affiliate with the CLC. Six provincial unions join. OPSEU does not, and as a result is expelled from the CLC.

•  CECBA amendments give the right to negotiate job classification, promotions and layoffs, and members get “successor rights” – the right to carry the union with them if they are transferred to jobs in the private sector or broader public service. CSAO can now nominate representatives to the Public Service Labour Relations Tribunal and the Grievance Settlement Board.

• The Women's Caucus becomes more formal.

1977

• Occupational Health and Safety becomes a major issue for the union. Huge effort goes into making sure government employees are covered by a new Health and Safety Act.

• Women convince the union to create the position of Equal Opportunities Coordinator reporting directly to the president. The first person in the job is communications officer Neil Louttit, who wisely recommends his successor be a woman. It was – Debbie Field.

1978

• Sean O'Flynn is elected president, defeating Charlie Darrow by six votes.

• OPSEU organizes staff at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The union wins 13 cases of unfair labour practice against the gallery in its fight for a first contract. It's the union's first move into the cultural sector.

• Convention supports equal pay for work of equal value and agrees to pay child care for all union meetings.

1979

• OLRA changes make things better for unions

• OPSEU agrees to affiliate with NUPGE and with it the CLC, the Ontario Federation of Labour and local labour councils. It has joined “the house of labour"

• (Right) OPSEU experiences its first province-wide strike – college support staff walk off the job in mid- January. The lack of experience shows, and the union is quick to over-ride its own strike policy and institute strike pay immediately – not after three weeks. The strike ends after 13 days with facesaving improvements. It is a recognition strike by clerical workers and pays off handsomely in the following round of bargaining.

• Halton-Mississauga Ambulance workers strike for six weeks in the summer for wage parity with ambulance officers employed by the province. OPSEU pursues central bargaining for ambulance workers.

• (Right) In a first province-wide illegal strike, Dec. 3 to 5, Correctional Officers walk out in a demand for a separate bargaining category (separate from institutional care workers). The resolution is an arbitrated settlement in which Corrections gets its separate group and OPSEU agrees to no new categories until 1982. In the subsequent round of bargaining, COs get a 27 per cent increase.

• On their third try, women convince the Convention to outlaw sexual harassment throughout the union.

Sean O'Flynn
President 1978 - 1985

CAAT Support Strike for the first time: Northern College, Kirkland Lake January 1979

In a first province-wide illegal strike, Dec. 3 to 5, Correctional Officers walk out in a demand for a separate bargaining category

On their third try, women convince the Convention to outlaw sexual harassment throughout the union.