A message from Jamie Ramage, Chair, BPS All Chairs Committee and the BPS Conference Planning Committee
Dec. 3, 2009
Dear sisters and brothers:
With more than 630 registrants, last week’s Broader Public Service conference was a big success. While there were some problems with the public address system in the new venue during the plenary session on Thursday (thanks for your patience, delegates), it was an intense three days that accomplished a lot for our members.
It is reassuring when the president of OPSEU speaks with passion on the issues that we in the BPS hold dear. Smokey Thomas’s commitment to keep on listening and addressing BPS concerns was exactly what delegates expected – and needed – to hear. Smokey stressed the importance of developing strategies, networking with other unions, and advocating for our causes province wide. His comments on the need to maintain quality public services highlighted the very issues we identified two years ago when we began to develop the theme for this conference.
We were fortunate to hear from Hugh Mackenzie, a passionate and respected economist who is well-known to many OPSEU members. His presentation summarized what we have been saying all along: that the public services Ontarians get for the taxes they pay are a bargain for all of us.
The information gathered during the regional workshops will be invaluable as we develop our strategy for 2010 and into the provincial election in 2011. Regardless of what region or sector we come from, we all have common concerns and issues.
Let’s continue to network and advocate for quality public services. We have served the public well; let’s ensure that, with their help, we can continue to do so.
The 2011 BPS Conference will focus on the provincial election scheduled for the following October. Your BPS Conference Planning Committee will be elected from the sector chairs at our next meeting in mid- December.
On behalf of the BPS All Chairs Committee and the Conference Planning Committee, thank you and see you in June 2011!
In solidarity,
Jamie Ramage
Click here to view the photo gallery from the BPS Conference.
Click here to view a listing of sector chairs for 2009-11.
