Bargaining information for OPSEU members
at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation
Issue 4 - February 16, 2010
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Bargaining continues, but…
Still a long road ahead
Your bargaining team met with the employer on February
10-11. We are still discussing the ramifications of the employer’s
Organizational Review plans, which we are still prevented from disclosing
until February 19.
Thanks to your support, and the noise you are making in the
workplaces, we are making some progress on the more troubling aspects
of this Plan. However, we are still very concerned about a lot of other
areas, and we ask that you keep on showing your solidarity.
Stay tuned after February 19. We will have lots to share
with you.
Other bargaining issues still stalled
Last week, the employer finally tabled their first wage
offer. We won’t go into details yet, but we will say it is…well…woefully
low.
As to a lot of our tabled issues, progress on those
is…well…woefully non-existent. We have still made ZERO progress on benefit
improvements, improved language on the chronic hiring and posting problems,
and language on how acting positions are distributed. We still have no firm
commitments on job security, especially in the face of the re-org.
The employer is still completely refusing to address our
proposals on Compressed Work Week schedules. They don’t provide any good
reasons for this…they just don’t want it.
We have once again reminded the employer that Top 100
employers usually offer CWW to their employees. We have also tried to
explain, in simple sentences, how compressed work weeks cost the employer
nothing, improve productivity, help save the environment by reducing driving
emissions, lower our carbon footprint, etc. And still…nothing.
Apparently the employer feels that their current flex-time
policy (which requires individual approvals, and managers usually deny) is
good enough.
It’s not.
Members will take a hit on IT Re-org
At the bargaining table the employer has informed us they
are moving forward on the already-planned re-org in IT. This will have an
adverse impact on some employees in the IT platforms division, with all 11
ITA4 positions being eliminated.
Overall, the employer is creating additional positions in
higher classifications, including the creation of a classification higher
than the current ITA5 classification, but we are suspicious that these
positions will be filled by current IT consultants the employer has hired.
The employer has told us across the table that at worst, the
11 ITA4 positions that are being eliminated will be placed in the
newly-created 11 additional ITA3 jobs.
The employer has indicated to us that “it may be too late”
to train the current ITA4 members to fill the higher-classification jobs…a
position that we find unacceptable considering this re-org has been in the
works for a long time. The employer has also been vague on what the job
specs and pay levels for these new higher-classification IT positions will
be.
We will do our best to mitigate the negative impact on our
members, and will keep you informed.
Part-time is full-time on the employer agenda
The employer is still gung-ho on the creation of part-time
positions for members. These positions would be for three days a week, which
the employer, with a gleam in their eye, thinks is a fantastic idea. (Note:
This is still the same employer who is not interested in CWW because they
are, and we quote, “a five-day-a-week operation.”)
According to MPAC, scads of members are beating down their
doors wanting to work part-time, and they really want to help them out.
“This is still news to me,” says bargaining team chair Ivan
Herrington. “I have not heard from ONE employee who wants to give up their
full-time job and work part-time.”
So the team is asking for your help. If you are one of those
multitudes of members who want to be a part-time employee, please send an
e-mail ASAP to
iherrington@cogeco.ca. We will then get an accurate count for our next
session with the employer.
Next bargaining dates last ones scheduled
Your team is back at the table February 17-19. These are the
last scheduled days we have with the employer, but we will not be finished
by a long shot.
“Unless there are major moves by the employer in the next
three bargaining sessions, we are going to have to schedule additional
days,” said Ivan Herrington. “The employer has indicated they would like to
get to a deal by the 19th, but we believe we are still too far apart to get
there.”
The team is very concerned by some of the big issues still
on the table, issues that will be communicated to the members after February
19.
“We are dealing with some very big concessions that we don’t
see disappearing any time soon.” Herrington said. “We may be looking at a
strong strike vote from the members to assist us in moving forward.”
We will keep you informed.
Keep in touch!
To ensure a speedy response to your questions, your leadership team has divided up all MPAC offices in the province. If you have a question or a comment, please contact the bargaining team member responsible for your office. Contact us by e-mail at work or at home, as follows:
Ivan Herrington, Chair: Barrie, Kitchener,
London, Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU),
Mississauga, Trenton.
E-mail: iherrington@cogeco.ca ;
herriniv@mpac.ca
Gary Cooper: Brantford, Chatham, Goderich, Hamilton, Owen Sound, Sarnia, Windsor.
Email: gcooper@iaw.com ;
cooperga@mpac.ca
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Peterborough,
Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto.
E-mail: evkelly@rogers.com ;
kellyev@mpac.ca
David Lynch: Bracebridge, Dryden, Fort
Frances, Kenora, North Bay, Ottawa, Parry
Sound, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins.
E-mail: opseu409@yahoo.ca ;
lynchda@mpac.ca
Bill Robertson: Bancroft, Brockville, Cornwall, Kingston, Pembroke.
E-mail: robertson2@cogeco.ca ;
robertbi@mpac.ca
Rob Field, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: rfield@opseu.org
ImpacT At the Table
is produced by the bargaining team for the Property Assessment Division of
the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution
by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president.
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