Strike vote details

Talks under way

Talks under way

After close to a year of essential services bargaining, your elected OPSEU bargaining team for MTHA security staff is finally talking with management about contract issues. After several sessions, we feel cautiously optimistic about they way things are going.

Both sides have far fewer issues to discuss this time, compared to our last round of bargaining in ’96-’97. Unlike last time, the management team has not come forward with demands for big monetary concessions from our contract. Management has also shown up with a smaller team than last round. We hope this means quicker decisions from their side.

What’s at stake:

Your bargaining team has put forward the issues members voted for at our 1998 demand-setting meeting. These include some priority items, as well as housekeeping matters. We have made it clear that we are particularly concerned about the following issues:

Permanent status for contract employees.

This round, we want to see action on this issue. Since last time, most contract employees have simply had their contracts extended, over… and over… and over. It’s time for MTHA to show some respect for contract employees by making them permanent. MTHA’s financial situation has stabilized. There is no pressure to have the City of Toronto take over.

More money.

After years of wage freezes, unpaid days off, and temporary roll-backs, we know it’s time for a decent raise. The Ontario Public Service, municipal workers, and other MTHA workers have all won pay hikes in the past year. It’s time management put some money on the table.

Job security.

As in 1996, management is trying to roll back some of our hard-won job security measures. Most of our demands are simply to keep what we’ve got. We also want to restrict management’s ability to contract out our work to low-cost alternatives.

Oct. 1 deadline:
a new deal or a strike vote

After negotiating essential services for a year, we are pressing management to get things moving on the issues. We have three more days of talks set in September plus Oct. 1. We have told the management negotiator that we will call a membership meeting after the last scheduled day.

At this meeting we hope to have a tentative settlement for members to vote on. If we don’t, we will ask members for a STRIKE VOTE.

A strike vote will not automatically mean we go on strike. It will give your team leverage at the bargaining table -- leverage that can make management take our demands seriously.

Neither side wants a strike. But if management does not address our priority issues, we will have no choice.

Watch for details on the timing and location of the membership meeting.

We welcome your input!

You can reach your bargaining team as follows:

Tim Zavitz, chair (416) 969-6001 ext. 7100; twz@globalserve.net
Terry Thibeault (416) 969-6001 ext. 7048
Jim Elliott (416) 969-6001 ext. 7033; lem592@idirect.com

Brian Mayes, OPSEU staff negotiator (416) 443-8888 x 714; bmayes@opseu.org

Original authorized for distribution by Leah Casselman, President.

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