November 23, 1999. No.4
NO MORE BARGAINING WITH AN EYEDROPPER!
Bargaining Teams calls for a No Board report
The Bargaining teams met at the Ministry of
Labour for 12 ½ hours yesterday. Assisted by a conciliation officer, bargaining and the
exchange of positions went back and forth all day and into the night. Each time, OPSEU
would make a move but, there would not be enough movement from the management side. We
would propose something and management would squeeze out a very small drop from their
side. We felt we were bargaining with an eyedropper. The negotiating team felt that if
management was serious there would have been a more generous offer on the table.
As well, we face many other issues. The wage grid continues to be an
issue. Importantly, our concerns on job security and the use of unpaid volunteers to do
our work is a very serious issue. Management didn't meet our concerns on any of these
issues.
Management says it's a time of "belt-tightening". We know the
raises management has received over the last three years. The Public Sector Salary
Disclosures report shows raises from 4.5% to 33% to various management staff since 1996.
We think we are being more than reasonable in our issues.
We have been asked to give 150% over the past few years. We have been
hit with lay-offs. We find it astonishing that management believes we would accept so
little. We don't believe that the gouging our salaries, our wage grid, our benefits and
our job security will benefit the professional standards of the Gallery and the quality
public services we provide.
NO BOARD REPORT - STRIKE PREP IS UNDERWAY
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INFORMATION STEWARD
- CHECK YOUR E-MAIL
The conciliation officer must now write a "no board" report and that usually
takes 5 days. We are in a legal strike position 17 days after the date on the no board
report. Our local could be in a legal strike position in mid-December. We need to continue
our preparation. Each of us needs to keep in touch with our information stewards. We will
plan a member's preparation meeting for next week.
Mobilizing Committee - Who to Call
Lenny Fridman ext. 5915; Susan Vidal 5954; Randal Speller, 225; Michael Douglas, 5968;
Margaret Haupt, 425; Kerry Kim, 410; Michelle Jacques, 304; Lisa Walter, 5987.
We give 150% We get 0%
Stop cheating the staff
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