The central OPSEU-Participating Hospitals collective agreement is a result of a province-wide bargaining process that involves individual OPSEU bargaining units and hospitals. Representatives of the participants come together to bargain central provisions that will be binding on all participants. Hospital participation is coordinated through the Ontario Hospital Association.

Well before the expiry of the collective agreement, each OPSEU bargaining unit calls a membership meeting for the purpose of deciding whether the unit will participate in the central bargaining process or negotiate as an individual unit. Management for each hospital must also agree to participate in the central process.

Should the members in a unit decide to participate centrally, they submit central demand proposals and elect delegates to attend the Central Demand Setting Meeting. At the Central Demand Setting Meeting, the delegates review the proposals put forward by the individual bargaining units, as well as research that has been compiled by OPSEU staff. Delegates then vote to decide which proposals will go forward as central demands.

The delegates at this meeting also elect a central negotiating team of seven (7) members. The team then elects a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

When the final parties are determined, a Memorandum of Conditions for Joint Bargaining is negotiated. This sets out such details as the participants, the timelines for bargaining, how the dispute settlement process (arbitration) will operate and which issues are central issues. Issues that are not mandated as central issues, such as local scheduling provisions, parking, multi-site issues and specific provisions of job sharing agreements, are negotiated locally at the individual hospital level. If the local parties are unable to reach agreement on their local issues, the dispute may be submitted to interest arbitration.

After the Memorandum of Conditions for Joint Bargaining is signed, the Union’s Central Negotiating Team meets with the Hospitals' Central Negotiating Team to exchange demands and bargain the renewal of the central collective agreement.

OPSEU staff provide assistance and advice at each step of the process. An OPSEU negotiator acts as the spokesperson at the bargaining table. A research officer provides research material to the bargaining team, as well as prepares and presents the arbitration brief if required. Staff working in communications, campaigns, membership benefits and grievances also provide input and assistance as needed.

Should the parties reach a settlement, it must be ratified by two-thirds of the participating bargaining units and Hospitals representing two-thirds of the participating bargaining unit employees. Should the parties reach an impasse, the dispute may be submitted to binding interest arbitration. For the collective agreement running from April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2002, the central parties reached a settlement that was subsequently ratified by both sides.

Related Information:

>> Central Salary Rates
>> Central Collective Agreement (note: this file is in .pdf format.  You will require Acrobat Reader.  If you do not have this free reader, please click here).