In a news release on Mar. 24, 2002, Management Board chair David Tsubouchi makes several statements that are simply not true. Certainly our employer (that’s right, Dave, you are our employer) would not deliberately make false statements. The only other excuse is that Dave must be misinformed. Hopefully, Mr. Tsubouchi, this will enlighten you as to what’s really going on.

First, your offer is neither fair nor reasonable to the 45,000 public servants of this province.

Second, your offer does not guarantee a ten per cent increase over the next three years for all of your employees. Let’s count together. 1.95 per cent in year one, 1.95 per cent in year two and 1.95 per cent in year three equals 5.85 per cent. Are we OK so far? Then there is an offer of an additional 1 per cent in the first year if, and only if, we sell out unclassified members. And so, in the first year, we would get 2.95 per cent, plus 1.95 per cent in year two and 1.95 per cent in year three, for a grand total of 6.85 per cent. The other 3.15 per cent that you say is part of the deal is only given to employees that have, as stated in your proposal, “satisfactory performance”. This 3.15 per cent only applies to those who are at the top of their pay grid. That isn’t everyone - in fact, thousands of your employees would not qualify.

Third, with respect to the Labour Relations Board, I guess that you’ve been misinformed about the Dispute Resolutions Protocol signed by your team as well as ours. It outlines a process by which all Essential Services issues are to be dealt with. We remain committed to that process, and, in fact, had to file a charge with the Labour Board to force you to follow it. We also have attempted to locally negotiate settlements on some disputes. However, your managers are telling us that their hands are being tied. Your managers say that they are not allowed to fix things locally, and that all disputes must go to the Labour Board. We guess someone forgot to tell you that as well.

With respect to living up to our negotiated agreements, let us enlighten you. We are professional, caring people dedicated to providing essential services. We continue to show up every day for work. In a lot of cases, we are being told by your managers that they don’t want us, and then they are suspending us with pay.

And finally, Mr. Tsubouchi, it was your side that left the bargaining table. In fact, we stayed until 12:30 a.m. on Mar. 13 for you to return. When we returned to the bargaining centre at 9:00 that same morning, a security plate was affixed to the management door.

Perhaps, Mr. Tsubouchi, you would like to come down to the bargaining center yourself and kick start the process. Or maybe you could give your robots the order to do so.

We’re waiting.

We reported in the Sat., Mar. 23 issue of the Real Deal that the Factor 80 benefit was being extended by OPSEU. This is true. However, to clarify, the extension is until Nov. 30, 2002.

You can contact the Central Team directly at (416) 815-1406, by fax at (416) 815-1412 or by e-mail at centralteam@opseu.org 

Marg Simmons
Chair, L. 263, (416) 815-1407

Mark Kotanen,
Vice-chair, L. 128, (519) 336-6926 (after hours) mkotanen@tct.net 

Jeff Bendig
L. 434, (613) 264-7580 (after hours), jeffbendig@hotmail.com 

Teri Breau-Auzins
L. 506, (416) 721-2767 (after hours), teriauzins@rogers.com 

Joseph Catroppa
L. 736, (807) 628-5147 (after hours), jncat@tbaytel.net 

Laurie Chapman
L. 323, (705) 323-8172 (after hours), lchapman@bconnex.net 

Michel Chaumont
L. 623, (705) 698-0567 (after hours),  chaumont@attcanada.net 

Darwin Lacelle
L. 447, 416 815 1406, dmlacell@nrtco.net

Steve Nield
L. 123, (519) 383-5643 (after hours)

Sandra Noad
L. 101, (519) 657-9518 (weekends), sanoad@rogers.com 

James Roland
L. 720, (807) 345-4609 (after hours), jimrol@hotmail.com 

Serge Valcourt
L. 634, (705) 497-4393 (after hours), opseu.634@sympatico.ca 

Peter Wall
L. 638, (416) 815-1406