Corrections ratifies new collective agreement
Members of the Corrections Bargaining Unit have
ratified their new agreement for the 2009-2012 Collective
Agreement. In votes held March 4-6, members voted 84 per cent in
favour of the tentative agreement.
Corrections Bargaining Team Chair David Kerr
says this vote should send a very strong message to the
employer: Our teams are elected by the members and represent
their wishes - you must always take us seriously.
“Back in December, our team told the employer
what our members would accept and what they wouldn’t accept,”
Kerr said. “We asked our members to give us a significant strike
vote, and they delivered it. When we got the tentative
agreement, we asked our members to accept the agreement, and
once again they delivered.”
Bargaining team Vice-Chair Pete Wright says that
this kind of member support is what makes the difference,
especially when facing tough negotiations in tough times.
“Our members said in a loud voice that they
backed their bargaining team and the decisions we made,” Wright
said. “This will pave the way for the future of all of our
negotiations, and our members will reap the rewards for years to
come.”
The team acknowledges the incredible work done
by the corrections mobilizers, from keeping members informed to
organizing events to pressure the employer in the days and weeks
leading up to the agreement.
“They were everywhere, working countless hours
and traveling hundreds of kilometers,” Kerr said. “The
mobilizers were the key to our success at the table. We really
couldn’t have accomplished as much as we did without their work
and dedication.”
Although the agreement is now ratified, Kerr
said that the real work on the contract is about to begin. “We
have a lot of new language in this collective agreement, and it
will take some time to establish how it works on a day-to-day
basis. Our MERC teams, Provincial Health and Safety teams and
our local leaders will be very busy in the months ahead.”
Team members David Kerr, Pete Wright, Paul
Johnstone, Tom O’Neill, Dave Graves, John Mearini and Richard
Cunningham thank all members of the Corrections Bargaining Unit
for their “Rock Solid” support.
Original authorized for distribution:
David Kerr, Chair Corrections Team
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President Ontario Public
Service Employees Union
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