You did it! Government reconsiders position on change to OPTrust

Geologists in Red Lake. Residential counsellors at the Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia. Client services representatives at the Ontario Disability Support Program in Sarnia. Lab technologists at the Public Health Lab in Ottawa. Correctional officers at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. Court clerks at the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines and medical review clerks at the Ministry of Transportation in Toronto.

All of these OPSEU members are in OPSEU Pension Trust. And all of them, plus many more members from around the province, signed postcards supporting a key change to the pension plan called ‘grandparenting’.

This would allow members to stay in the plan if their jobs are contracted out or privatized and their new employer agrees to join the plan. Members would get better pensions than if their pensions were provided under two separate plans.

President Leah Casselman delivered the 5,500 postcards to the Minister of Government Services, Gerry Phillips, June 8.

The postcards were collected by OPSEU locals across the province this spring. The campaign’s slogan is “I put my trust in OPTrust”.

“OPSEU members have helped build a strong pension plan,” said Casselman. “No matter what governments do in the future, members deserve to retire with a good pension.”

The OPSEU Pension Trust, with over $10 billion in assets, is run jointly by the government and OPSEU. Any changes to the pension plan must be approved by both parties.

Initially, the government was not supportive of the ‘grandparenting’ change. The government is now reviewing the issue, in light of the union’s strong support for it and our request that the Liberals reconsider their position. “Retiring with dignity matters,” said Casselman. “The McGuinty government has heard the message loud and clear, thanks to our members’ participation and our locals’ leadership in this campaign.”