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March 27, 2002
Courtroom drama a hit in Windsor
The courts Day of Action drew good coverage in the Windsor Star, which reported on the dramatic presentation.
“Staging a brief one-act courtroom drama, a dozen of those workers played to an enthusiastic audience of fellow OPSEU members,” the Star reported.
“Chants of ‘Shame, shame, shame’ greeted each accused worker as she pleaded guilty in a mock courtroom to charges of working for up to 15 years without job security, benefits or pensions, before being sentenced to a future of fair equitable treatment.”
The Star quoted Local 154 president Evelyn Anger saying, “We felt it was an effective way to make the public aware of our working conditions while at the same time having some fun.”
It was one of many stories that highlighted the injustice experienced by the essential workers in the courthouses, living from contract to contract in unclassified hell.
The Toronto Star reported a brief walk-out by court reporters in that city after the province brought in eight non-union court reporters.
That story also talked about the bad deal that court staff live with on a daily basis.
Watch for our ads:
Takes two to tango
Watch for OPSEU’s ad in most daily newspapers in Ontario on Thursday.
OPSEU remains available to return to the table at any time. So, if both sides say they are available, why aren’t we bargaining?
We are asking the same question. Every time reporters ask David Tsubouchi whether he is willing to bargain, he says, “We have an excellent offer on the table,” and then starts talking about money.
But he refuses to pick up the phone.
What actually happened at the bargaining centre on March 12 at 10:30 in the morning is that the employer came into the room, sat down, and said they had nothing more to offer us.
They made no counter-offer to the offer we had given them the day before. This took about three minutes in total. Then they got up and walked away.
Really drumming up support
Tuesday’s “Drum-Up” at 900 Bay Street in Toronto was a noisy, cold and fun event.
Setting the beat were drummers from Toronto’s Native Centre, African Drummers and Dragon Dancers. They were supplemented by a wide range of percussion instruments: garbage cans, pots and pans, juice bottles and spoons, slices of heating duct on a chain, an empty cookie tin, and more.
The choir of the Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees Union sang. There were speakers from many communities: Iranian, Philippino, The Coaltion of Black Trade Unionists, Asian Canadian Labour Activists and the Chinese Canadian community.
Flags from teachers’ unions joined OPSEU picket signs, and there were representatives of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Steelworkers, Canadian Union of Public Employees and others.
Support you can bank on
Kathy McVean, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association presented OPSEU with a cheque for $10,000 to help fight the OPS strike.
The news from everywhere
Shell shock
Dick, a man who daily walks on the extensive grounds of the Thistletown Regional Centre for Children and Adolescents treated Local 547’s late afternoon picket line to a feast of BBQ’d mussels.
His thoughtfulness and ongoing support are much appreciated.
Later that evening as a manager drove across the line, there was a noise like a tire being punctured.
Both sides looked warily at each other as the vehicle inched forward. A discarded mussel shell was the culprit!
Horsing Around
Rachel Hill brought her horse to Local 711’s picket line in Fort Frances. Ebony, a Tennessee Walking Horse was a feature attraction with Rachel sporting a sandwich board picket sign. Ebony had picket stickers on his rump.
This led one passerby to ask, “Are you saying your employer is a horse’s ass?”
Ebony left a deposit on the front walk. Another motorist went around the block a second time to stop and chat about the picket line. A local reporter took pictures.
Another welcome
Local 718 president Chris Bonner-Vickers is pleased to announce a family addition at the Fort Frances Jail.
Jon-Paul and Caroline Winik had a baby boy last week. Dad is a Correctional Officer 2.
Both Caroline and baby Benjamin are reported to be doing fine.
Dad is an essential inside striker and a little on the tired side.
Menu mentions
Dryden strike donations include sushi and moose sausage.
Elliot Lake folks are munching on Italian ham and cheese panninis and truffled macaroni soup.
Last week the Elliot Lake crowd (Local 604) dealt with an elected official who really does serve the community.
City Councillor Rosario Capillo brought lunch to the line (hotdogs and sandwiches).
Capillo said he felt there was a need. “This is democracy at work. They have the right to go on strike if they are not satisfied. And the government has the right to try and save the taxpayers’ dollars. We are fortunate in this country that the democratic
system works most of the time.”
He promised a pot of beans if the strike continues.
Good question
Local 225 president Gerry Hope comments on FRONTlines with an interesting observation:. “Makes one wonder how a strike without communications technology could have ever been effective.”
Welcome thanks
I just finished reading the March 26 FRONTlines. I was touched by the article on (Steelworkers’) Local 2251’s support for our pickets. I called Local 2251 personally to thank them and I encourage others to do the same, if you get a chance. The local 2251 number is 705-942-3900 and
the Disrict 6 office number is 705-759-4945. A simple thank you goes a long way! - Monique Bumbaco,
Local 601, Sault Ste. Marie
More fun with Tories
On Saturday, I was a member of a small contingent from Locals 711, 718, 735, 705 and members from the OSSTF who thought it would be neighbourly to welcome members of the Progressive Conservative Party as they chose a new leader.
We gathered at the entrance to the polling station. Seventy or so people exercised their right to vote.
Their attitudes ranged from elation to resignation to dogged determination. Most people seemed happy to be taking part in this process while others looked as if they wanted to be somewhere else. In the end, fewer than half of those qualified to vote, did vote.
When the Sunday papers published the results, approximately five per cent of the purported 100,000 members of the party actually chose Ernie as leader. With less than 50 per cent turnout for the first ballot and even fewer in the second ballot. I find it distressing to think that the
leader of Ontario was chosen by fewer voters than what reside in two towns in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding.
I am heartened that the members of the P.C. party are so apathetic. We can only hope this feeling carries over to the next election.
- Bob Dakin
President, Local 711,
Fort Frances MNR
More snippets from the mailbag
It’s not the money
To the North Bay Nugget:
Your correspondent Lorraine Barrett wants to know why OPSEU needs a raise. I’d like to ask her something.
When she turns on her tap, does Ms. Barrett expect clean water? Does she need to know her food is safe to eat? Does she need to have her streets kept safe from criminals? Does she want wildlife conservation officers on the job, so hunting and fishing are regulated? Is she happy to
know there are mental health facilities for her loved ones, should they need them? Or that the driver in the other car has passed a driving test, and is not going to cross the lane and hit her?
Lorraine, the list goes on. But the same essential workers who provide these services and more, our brothers and sisters in OPSEU, have lost 12 per cent of their buying power over the past eight years. Remember, MPPs have their own version of wage recovery - a 36.6 per cent salary
increase.
But money is not the main reason we’re on strike.
We’re on strike to renew and rebuild the public services that we all need. We’re on strike for respect. We want careers, not part-time jobs. We’ve lost 23,000 of our colleagues in the “war” that the Conservatives have waged against these same public services. One thousand of those
workers were in the Ministry of the Environment. That was before the Walkerton tragedy. Get the picture?
- Eric Morin, Local 635, North Bay
A skunk still stinks ...
I am a retired CAW worker from Local 444. My wife and I have been known to show up at picket lines in our community with food and hot drinks. During the teachers’ strike, the teachers at our local high school were surprised to find out we didn’t have children.
We strongly support labour and we are appalled at the actions of this Conservative Government with its frequent attacks on the poor and working people.
My wife is an OPSEU member. Yesterday, we decided to head out to the Southwest Regional Centre with donuts and our dogs. I am happy to report that the strikers have great facilities. Strike shacks with pantries and warm cozy enclosures. These pickets have strong resolve. They are
well informed about the issues. They had not forgotten that Ernie was the Finance Minister responsible for the decimation of the public service.
A skunk still stinks even if it tries to disguise it’s stripes.
Good luck.
- Ed Boudreau, Tilbury, Ontario
Bravo to Kingston
The Kingston Whig-Standard ran five positive letters on March 24. Very brief excerpts:
To protect services
We are not greedy dollar-oriented individuals. This strike is about fairness. It is about protecting the pension that we’ve paid into, our benefits and our jobs and rebuilding the level of service to the public in areas like food and water safety, health care, social services, etc.
- Bess Yuen, Kingston
Rebuilding
This strike is about protecting benefits, pensions as well as a wage recovery, respect and rebuilding the public services in Ontario that the public has grown accustomed to.
- Hans Witvoet, Local 468
Gales and blizzards
Ferry crews are out in rain, hot sunshine, gale force winds and blizzards, yet making what workers get paid in their warm or air conditioned offices.
- Anne Evans, Kingston
A fair deal
I have given this employer a fair deal and now I am legally withholding my services untl I get one in return.
- Lorraine Menard, Local 468
Intelligent and professional
After working 28 years in the private sector as a legal secretary, I applied for a position with the government last April and won. I make more money, have benefits for the first time in my life. I have a pension and work with nice, intelligent and professional people. I am
supporting the picket line and do my four hours a day. I have co-workers from single-income famlies who voted to accept the employer’s offer, as did I. And I live on Wolfe Island.
Y. Van Noten, Wolfe Island
Strike Heroes
Tony Elders
Tony Elders of Local 711 is usually bearded. His says it’s really not a beard but a resistance to the daily shaving ritual.
On the first day of the stike Tony shaved his face clean. When he went to the picket line, strikers asked (when they finally recognized him) “What happened to your beard?” He said, “Mike Harris can’t have a pound of my flesh, so I put my beard in an envelope and sent to to him.” We
don’t know if that’s true, but it is only the second time in 26 years he has been clean shaven. The last time was 1996.
Anonymous clerk
Report from a criminal lawyer from the first week of the strike in a criminal court in Toronto. Everyone there: crown, defence, accused, witnesses, observers.
Judge says to court clerk: “Get me a glass of water.”
Clerk replies: “It’s not essential.”
The whole court stopped for about 30 seconds. Then the judge proceeded, without his water.
How much courage does that take?
Essential forensic lab workers
At 25 Grosvenor St., forensic lab ‘essential’ staff are trying to keep their picketing co-workers in Local 579 warm and full with soup, coffee, hot chocolate, chili, samosas, more soup, coffee, etc.
Austin Pickett (great name!)
Sylvia Ross reports that Local 230’s Joanne Pickett (Superior Court in Kitchener) has a great husband. Austin delivered sausage-on-a-bun with saurkraut and mustard to the courts and finance line picketing in front of Kitchener’s City Hall. Oktoberfest in March!
Thanks to Austin Pickett who delivered the food hot and ready to eat and boy did we eat!
Carol Hughes
Carol is president of Local 604 in Elliot Lake with 21 members. She clearly believes in communication as the local now has a newsletter, The Northern Picketers, and a website. (We’ll pass on the url when we get it.)
Local 340 members
I am so very proud of the members in my local and I am privileged to be their president. Local 340 is holding a strong line of 934 pickets at the Ministry of Finance Building in Oshawa. It is amazing to see the public support for the OPSEU members on our line.
Every affiliate in the Durham Region has visited our picket line. They are amazed to find out that OPSEU members had no other choice but to turn down the governments degrading offer.
Quote of the day: “And I thought I had a bad employer.”
- Kathleen Demareski, President Local 340
Keep those nominations coming in to kfitzrandolph@opseu.org or phone to 1-800-268-7376 and ask for Katie. (email is easiest)
Check the web: www.opseu.org has the latest on everything.
Original approved for publication by Leah Casselman, President
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