We still want a contract by April 1, and so far nothing has happened to tell us we can’t achieve that.

We met with the employer in bargaining Jan 20 and 21, and again Feb. 2 to 4. We have agreed not to talk about the details of positions at the table. We made this agreement because we feel it will help us move toward a good settlement.

It means we can’t give you a lot of information at this point. However, we guarantee you will have all the details you need when the time comes for you to vote on a contract offer.

We have more bargaining dates scheduled. We will be meeting the employer again Feb. 16 to 18, March 1 to 3 and March 29 to 30.

Clearly if we are to achieve the April 1 settlement that we want, these next three sessions are important ones.

We respect the support you have given us in this process so far, and we will do our best to earn your continued support with a good collective agreement.

We have learned of two office relocations in recent days.

The first involved closing the Cobourg office and moving all staff to Trenton. In this move all employees will continue their jobs, and OPAC will pay moving expenses. About 10 bargaining unit members are involved.

The second, and much larger shuffle, will involve more than 300 bargaining unit members. OPAC plans to close its offices in Scarborough and Etobicoke – respectively eastern and western suburbs of Toronto. Staff at these offices will move to the Toronto office or the North York office.

This is happening outside the scope of contract bargaining, but it has an impact on many of our members. So members of your bargaining team met with Carl Isenburg, vice-president of operations for OPAC, to find out what it means.

We have agreement that all staff will retain their jobs in the move. To repeat, there will be no layoffs. Also OPAC will try to accommodate worker preference in rearranging the staff into the two remaining offices.

OPAC also agreed to look favourably at compressed work weeks and flexible working hours. These are important to members who suddenly face much longer commutes through the congested traffic arteries of Toronto.

We raised concerns about the numbers of work stations, phones and computers for the increased staff in Toronto and North York. OPAC said they had arranged enough for all permanent staff, but not for contract staff. We’re working on that.

We expect there will be more shuffles in the weeks and months ahead. As these proceed, we will be working to protect your jobs and your interests.

We know that about 20 per cent of our numbers are contract staff. Many of you have been with the property assessment operation for up to three years.

That’s a long time to have an indefinite future, and it is an important issue for your bargaining team.

OPAC’s treatment of the needs of contract staff in the Toronto office shuffle is a case in point. They said they had enough computers, space and phones for permanent staff, but hadn’t calculated the needs of contract employees (only about a third of the group).

As a result of our raising the question, OPAC is evaluating the space requirements. We have no commitment, but we’re pushing it.

That’s the news for now. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with any member of the bargaining team.