TORONTO: More than 1,500 delegates, alternates
and observers will attend the 33rd annual Convention of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union at the Sheraton Centre
Hotel in Toronto, April 17-19, 2008.
“This Convention will highlight a positive
outlook for the future, for our union and for the province,”
said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “We’re growing and
changing. It’s truly a ‘new day’ for OPSEU.”
Thomas and OPSEU Vice-President Treasurer Patty
Rout will address the Convention Thursday April 17. Delegates
will attend the Toronto Blue Jays/Texas Rangers baseball game
Thursday night to raise money for the Live and Let Live Fund;
with the proceeds assisting HIV-AIDS work in Canada and
internationally.
The union’s prestigious Stanley Knowles
Humanitarian Award will be presented to Dr. Philip Berger, a
humanitarian and strong advocate for public health care, both in
Canada and abroad, at 1.30 p.m. Friday. Dr. Berger is Chief of
the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Medical
Director, Inner City Health Program, at St. Michael’s Hospital,
Toronto.
The award will be presented by Stephen Lewis,
who will also address Convention on Friday. Lewis, former UN
Ambassador, now heads the Stephen Lewis Foundation, supporting
grassroots initiatives in Africa to counter the devastating
effects of HIV-AIDS.
On Friday evening, the “Labour of Laughs” comedy
night will feature Derek Edwards, Mary Walsh, and the Second
City Comedy Troupe for a lighter look at the labour movement.
OPSEU represents about 130,000 employees of the
Ontario government, Ontario’s community colleges, the LCBO, and
more than 500 broader public sector employers such as hospitals,
ambulance services, school boards, municipalities, social
service agencies and private corporations. More than 90,000 of
these members will be bargaining new contracts in the next year.
The union is growing: This week, the union also
filed for certification to represent about 12,500 part-time and
sessional workers at Ontario’s 24 colleges.
Convention 2008 runs each day from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m.
