CBS members pursue united agenda
at November 27 meeting

Canadian Blood Services members are determined and ready to push forward a united agenda after a province-wide bargaining conference in Toronto November 27.

For the first time, all three bargaining units - Technologists; Plasma Collection; and Province-wide Support -- met to share common concerns and strategize for the upcoming round of bargaining in the spring.

During the Saturday conference the CBS members reviewed draft bargaining procedures.  Included in these procedures is a proposed Canadian Blood Services Committee. Functioning as a subcommittee of the Health Care Divisional Council, this new body will not only help with strategies around coordinated bargaining, but will provide a focus for CBS issues in general. The proposed procedures, unanimously endorsed by the delegates, are scheduled to go before the next OPSEU Board meeting in December.

The conference also reviewed results from the recent OPSEU bargaining survey. The high response rate indicates a significant level of interest by CBS members in the outcome of this round of bargaining. Major issues highlighted include wages, benefits, job security, part-time issues, hours of work, as well as health and safety concerns.

Ann Wallace, OPSEU's pay equity negotiator, reviewed the steps that the union is taking towards achieving pay equity at CBS. Three pay equity teams have been formed for the three bargaining units, and training recently took place November 17-18. Two members of the employer CBS Pay Equity Team also attended the meeting: Mike Mutch and Kate Bradfield. The union is pushing CBS to set dates to negotiate pay equity.

Midway through the meeting CBS members joined thousands of their OPSEU brothers and sisters in a march on Queen's Park, where they joined an Ontario Federation of Labour rally urging the McGuinty Government to keep their promises to rebuild public services.

Pictures from the November 27 Meeting

OPSEU President Leah Casselman welcomes CBS members to the conference.