Labour Board hearing set for Feb. 14
CUPE 79 and CUPE 416 have filed papers at the Labour Board, as expected, claiming Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) is a “related employer” of the City of Toronto.
That application will be dealt with on the 14th. OPSEU will be there fighting to defend our members and to ensure there is a fair resolution of the situation; one that makes sense for all TCHC staff.
For the Professional, Office and Clerical Units, this ultimately means ensuring there is a vote.
CUPE’s move is based on a mistaken interpretation of Ontario labour law. It’s meant for situations where a company illegally moves work to a non-unionized affiliate.
We hope that once this is dealt with we can move on to the relevant section of the law that deals with what happens with a merger of this kind.
Again, we want Local 592 members to have the opportunity to choose their union in a vote. That’s what we’re fighting for at the Board.
What is CUPE saying?
Local 79’s recent bulletin stated that, were CUPE to win, there would be “transfer rights into city positions.” But transfer rights for whom? It’s hard to believe OPSEU members would zoom to the top of CUPE’s seniority list. More likely, our members would be piled up at the bottom. So the right of access to city jobs
would be less than meaningless.
CUPE 79 also claims its collective agreement is superior to ours. We disagree. Ultimately, however, there will be a new agreement and you will have to decide which union is stronger to fight for a better deal.
CUPE 416 is also claiming that the TCHC Property Administrators are part of their unit.
The legal issues sound complex, but simply put, OPSEU supports a vote in the Professional, Office and Clerical Unit, and we think Security and Maintenance should stay with their current locals.
CUPE 79 and 416 are maintaining that TCHC staff should automatically revert to those two huge locals.
CUPE 416s motion also asks that the Property Administrators (currently in OPSEU 592, Professional, Office and Clerical Unit) be assigned to that local. The Labour Board decided several years ago these members should be part of Local 592. We wonder why CUPE won’t take ‘No’ for an answer.
The Local 592 Security bargaining team will meet with the employer on Feb. 15th for negotiations on the wage reopener issue. For more details contact your steward.
More Questions:
If you have other questions about the transition please call or e-mail your steward or a member of the executive.
Help us keep in touch with you by e-mail. Send your home e-mail address to lwilliams@opseu.org and mention you are from OPSEU 592 TCHC Staff.
Your OPSEU Local 592 team
Suzanne Kelly: phone 416-397-5449
Patricia Lee-Quai: phone: 416-249-4619
Stephen French: phone: 416-494-7327
Home Pages is being sent to keep you informed of activities within your union and your local. You are invited to contribute to future issues. Please contact David Cox at 416-443-8888 x 314 or at dcox@opseu.org
Authorized for Distribution by Leah Casselman, President
