OPSEU Board Confirms Action Plans to Protect
Pensions
July 20, 2012
The OPSEU Executive Board has
initiated a campaign to counter government moves to weaken important
pension plans covering many members. These pension plans include the
OPSEU Pension Trust for members from the OPS and LCBO; the CAAT Plans
for academic and support college staff; OMERS for members working for
municipalities and HOOPP, which covers hospital workers.
Pensions are a key issue for OPSEU
members. Our union has been at the forefront in the fight to ensure a
meaningful say in how our pension plans operate. The plans in which we
participate are solid, yet the government is now demanding greater
control over these pension plans.
With these threats ahead, the coming
months will be critical ones for OPSEU members and working people
everywhere. This government’s plan threatens us all.
That is why OPSEU, at its 2012
Convention, pledged to work to reduce income inequality, especially
during retirement. The government is threatening to impoverish
hard-working people at a point where they should be enjoying life – not
worrying about income security. After all, pensions, paid for through
deferred wages, are a fair return for a lifetime of hard work.
So look forward to the fight ahead.
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President
The following motion CARRIED at the
July 19, 2012 Executive Board conference call:
Moved by Elliot/Thomas
WHEREAS the Ontario Government
is preparing measures that will undermine the pensions of many OPSEU
members, and
WHEREAS pensions are deferred
wages, set aside to fulfill a defined pension promise and thereby reduce
financial hardship, and
WHEREAS the 2012 OPSEU
Convention voted to endorse an Action Plan which committed the union to
fight against income inequality, especially at retirement;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that
OPSEU immediately commence a public education and member mobilization
campaign to counter the threats to transfer pension money into a super
investment agency and to force jointly sponsored pension plans to reduce
pension benefits, and
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED THAT the
campaign include lobbying, member and community engagement, regional
involvement, social media, political action, teleconferencing and other
awareness building measures, and
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED THAT this
matter be a point for mobilization of the membership who are heading
into bargaining, as well as any other members groups similarly affected.
