Newsletter
 

Issue 14 - June 19, 2007

Divisional meeting elects new LBED leadership team

“Democracy in action” – that’s how one delegate described the Liquor Board Employees Division’s first divisional meeting as part of OPSEU, held on June 3-4.

The meeting brought together 55 elected delegates and more than 20 alternates and observers from LBED locals across the province.

Over the two days, members first debated and voted on new by-laws and negotiating procedures for the division. Then they elected a new leadership team to take the division forward over the next two years.

 “There was a lot of energy in the room,” said Vanda Klumper, president of Local 165, who was elected as the division’s new chair.

 “You could tell that delegates came to the divisional meeting with one thing in mind – to continue building a powerful, democratic division that can deliver effective representation for our members.”

New by-laws

One of the first items of business at the meeting was the adoption of new divisional by-laws. The by-laws set out how the division will be run, including:

·         the role and structure the divisional executive committee (DivEx) and other key committees,

·         how elections are held, and

·         how the division will be financed.

After several months of consultation with locals to get their input, and a lively debate at the divisional meeting, delegates approved the draft by-laws with only minor changes.*     

Divisional elections

With the by-laws in place, the stage was set for the election of a new divisional leadership including:

·         a six-member divisional executive (DivEx),

·         members of three provincial committees

·         chairs of two other provincial committees

·         chairs of four regional labour-management committees, and

·         a two-member trustee audit committee.

Under the new LBED by-laws, filling these leadership posts required a total of 23 elections. The result is a new team that will direct the work of the division over the next two years. (See page X for complete election results.)

“As a division we have a lot on our plates,” Klumper said. “We need to get our labour-management committees up and running, and give locals the tools to enforce our collective agreement. We need to take on issues from health and safety and workplace accommodations to agency stores and the threat of privatization. And we have to start preparing now for our next round of bargaining.”

“The good news is that we are coming out of our first meeting as an OPSEU division a group of leaders who are committed to making that happen.”

* The final by-laws will be distributed to locals following final vetting and approval by the OPSEU president’s office.

Bargaining procedures

As well as adopting by-laws and electing a new leadership to represent the division between rounds of collective bargaining, delegates also passed new LBED negotiating procedures.

These procedures set out the process for negotiating the next LBED collective agreement, including how bargaining demands will be set by the membership, how the bargaining team will be elected, and how strike and ratification votes are held.

The negotiating procedures will be submitted to the OPSEU board for approval before going to the 2008 OPSEU convention for final ratification. In the meantime, the divisional leadership will start planning this summer to lay the groundwork for the next round of bargaining.

The current collective agreement expires on March 31, 2009.

Divisional election results

On Monday, June 4, the final day of the LBED divisional meeting was given over entirely to the election of a new divisional leadership. Members elected to the various positions include:

Divisional Executive (DivEx)

Benefits & Pension Committee

Susan Lusty (Local 376) – Chairr

Mike Peris (Local 162)

Valerie Daughton (Local 5110)

Health & Safety Committee

Tracy Vyschaft (Local 377) – Chair

Rob Mithrush (Local 741)

Kelly McInnes (Local 499)

Education & Communications Committee

Jeremy Trainor (Local 378) – Chair

Colleen MacLeod (Local 5107)

Nelson Ross (Local 499)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Committee

Felicia Metcalf-Fahey (Local 681) - Chairr

Permanent Vacancy Review (PVR) Committee

Dan Rath (Local 164) - Chair

Regional Labour-Management Committee Chairs

Trustee Audit Committee

Bryan Teggart (Local 284)

Sandy Hunter (local 379)

How to reach us

Contact information for the members of the Divisional Executive and the provincial committees is available on the OPSEU website at www.opseu.org/lbed/index.htm.

Volunteers wanted

Under the new by-laws, the division’s officers (Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer) are responsible for making appointments to some standing committees and ad hoc committees of the division. Positions to be filled include:

·         two members of the Employee Assistance Committeee

·         members of the Anti-Privatization/Agency Stores Committee

If you are interested in volunteering for either of these committees, please contact LBED Chair Vanda Klumper at 599-301-5003 or vklumper@rogers.com.

Positions will be filled based on criteria set out in the by-laws, including regional and occupational representation, gender and equity balance, and the candidates’ qualifications.

BPS conference puts focus on provincial election

It was a busy weekend for delegates attending LBED’s first divisional meeting. That’s because the two-day LBED meeting followed OPSEU’s Broader Public Sector conference, held on June 1-2. The conference is held every two years and brings together hundreds of OPSEU members from 20 different sectors across the province.

Highlights of this year’s conference included a keynote speech by newly elected OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas and a question-and-answer session with representatives of the four main provincial parties that will be running in Ontario’s provincial election this October.

Agency stores

One of the key questions put to the four political parties focused on private “agency stores” and LCBO privatization. Here is the question and a summary of what each speaker had to say.

Question: The current Ontario government says it opposes the privatization of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

Yet at the same time, it is expanding the so-called “agency stores” program, allowing roughly 200 gas stations, grocery stores, and other private businesses to sell alcohol to the public. This program is costing Ontario taxpayers money, it is robbing many communities of the service and selection of a real LCBO store, and it has opened the door to the sale of alcohol to minors.

What is your party’s position on the agency stores program?

Green Party leader Frank de Jong did not address the need to stop the growth of private agency stores or replace them with public LCBO outlets. Instead, he suggested that agency stores should be staffed by unionized workers.

Liberal Minister of Government Services Gerry Phillips said that when they were in office, all three of the main parties supported the agency stores program. He said the Liberals believe there is a place for agency stores in Ontario. He did not discuss the loss of public revenue through agency stores or commit to replacing agency stores with real LCBO outlets.

NDP MPP Andrea Horwath said she had met with LBED members in recent weeks to discuss the issue. She said that the NDP supports OPSEU’s position that there should be strict limits on new agency stores and that larger agency stores should be replaced with real LCBO outlets.

Progressive Conservative MPP Joyce Savoline said her party supports the agency stores program.

YOU can help get the message across

With the Ontario election set for October 10, now is the time to make sure provincial politicians from all the major parties get our message about putting a lid on private agency stores. Here’s how you can help:

• Send a message to your MPP. Go to www.opseu.org/lbed/privatization.htm to send your MPP an e-mail or print out a message you can send by fax or mail.

• Get involved in your local’s lobby campaign. By meeting with MPPs, and other politicians you can show them that the agency stores issue matters to voters in your community.

• Wear your “Our LCBO – Let’s Keep it Public” button at work. LCBO management has clearly stated that no member will be disciplined for wearing the button.

• Find out more. Visit www.opseu.org/lbed/privatization.htm  or contact your local for more facts about the LCBO, agency stores and Ontario communities.

BPS workshops address LBED issues

The BPS conference also featured three workshops designed specifically for members from the LCBO.

Permanent Vacancy Review

PVR is the process set out in the collective agreement for converting casual positions to permanent full-time, based on the number of hours worked. The workshop focused on how locals can make the process work better under the current collective agreement and how the contract language could be improved in the next round of bargaining.

So far in 2007, the annual PVR process has identified a total of 84 positions that will be converted to permanent full-time.

Employee Assistance Program

This workshop featured a presentation by a representative of Shepell FGI, the current EAP provider for LCBO employees. Topics included the range of counseling and other services available, how to access them, and the role of union representatives in the referral process.

Over the coming weeks, Felicia Metcalf-Fahey, the new chair of LBED’s EAP committee will be working with the DivEx to identify volunteers from each of the LCBO’s regions to join the EAP committee. See future issues of The Echo for more details.

Accommodation, Modified Work and the LCBO

This workshop focused on workers’ rights to accommodation and modified work under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Workers’ Safety and Insurance Act, the employer’s duty to accommodate and the role of union and employer representatives in the accommodation process.

With as many as 50 percent of members in some LCBO regions needing accommodations, this will be a key focus for the new LBED health & safety and benefits & pensions committees over the next two years.

Get on the list!

You can receive The Echo directly by fax or e-mail. Just let us know how to reach you. Give us your secure e-mail address or fax number by calling OPSEUdirect at 1-800-268-7376 or (416) 443-8888.

 The Echo is authorized for distribution by Vanda Klumper, Chair, Liquor Board Employees Division, and Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President.

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