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Issue #4 Oct. 4, 2001
Document storm continues
This week, your Central Team continues
to deal with essential service information flowing across the table
from the employer. The employer is now bringing in their “specialists”
to explain in detail the duties of various essential service
positions.
Despite the amount of information
coming in (with a promise of more to come), the Team is still
confident that they can settle essential service issues in a timely
manner and get on to the issues. To keep this process flowing, four
mediators are available to work at the bargaining centre and attempt
to settle disputes if they arise.
On a lighter note, the Central Team
reports that they have all survived the cold and flu virus that has
been stalking the bargaining centre, although the management team is
now looking a little under the weather. Some of the team members have
also been able to get out to local membership meetings in Toronto in
order to keep members up to date.
One accomplishment has been the signing
of the overall essential services conditions document and the
protocol.
“The work is tedious, but we’re
extremely upbeat,” said Marg Simmons, chair of the OPS Central Team.
“Our task has been made easier thanks to the members who have helped
us verify the information.
Public Service Fair launches OPS
bargaining
Ontario’s public services have never
been more important.
That was the message from over 400
OPSEU members and citizens who converged on the North Bay waterfront
Sept. 29 to celebrate public services and the people who provide them.
The event was also the official launch
of this round of collective bargaining for 45,000 OPSEU members in the
Ontario Public Service (OPS). The OPS contract expires Dec. 31, 2001.
Autumn sunshine, a grooving blues band,
and great food made for a great day. OPSEU members came by bus from
Hamilton, Toronto, Orillia, Sudbury, and Timmins. Members from Hearst
were on the road at 4:00 a.m.
First Nations drummers introduced a
stellar lineup of speakers, including Bruce Davidson of Concerned
Walkerton Citizens.
OPSEU president Leah Casselman told the
crowd the same Tory policies that have plagued the Ministry of
Environment have hit every ministry in the public service.
“Walkerton taught us that a public
service destroyed by extreme layoffs, cuts, and privatization is too
weak to prevent disaster and too weak to respond if disaster strikes,”
she said. “This round of bargaining is about the public service
after Walkerton. We have a huge opportunity here, in this next round
of bargaining, to talk about the importance of public services. We’re
seeing more and more the need for quality public services, and more
and more need for being able to hold the government accountable.”
Training for OPS members ongoing
The following OPS Mobilization and
Service Area Coordinating Group (SACG) training sessions are
scheduled:
Oct. 13, 14
Region 3: OPS Mobilization Training
Holiday Inn, Peterborough
Region 4: OPS Mobilization Training Four Points Sheraton, Kingston
Region 5: OPS Mobilization Training Colony Hotel, Toronto
Region 6: OPS Mobilization Training Timmins Regional Office
More sessions are scheduled. Watch here
for updates.
How to contact your team members
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, (905) 844-5239 (after hours)
Mark Kotanen,
Vice-chair, L.
128, (519) 336-6926 (after hours)
mkotanen@tct.net
Jeff Bendig
L. 434, (613)
364-7580 (after hours), jeffbendig@hotmail.com
Teri Breau-Auzins
L. 506, (416)
721-2767 (after hours), teriauzins@home.com
Joseph Catroppa
L. 736, (807)
328-5147 (after hours), jncat@tbaytel.net
Laurie Chapman
L. 323, (705)
323-8172 (after hours), lchapman@bconnex.net
Michel Chaumont
L. 623, 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@home.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
The Real Deal is your only accurate
source of Central Team information during this round of bargaining. If
you don’t read it here, you can't be sure it's true. Don’t rely on
gossip and rumours. We will provide the facts.
The Real Deal will be available by
fax, by e-mail, and on the OPSEU web site at www.opseu.org.
To receive it directly, send your secure fax number to Lesley
Williams at (416) 443-1762 or send your e-mail address to lwilliams@opseu.org
.
The Real Deal is authorized for distribution by
Marg Simmons, chair, Central team, and Leah Casselman, president.
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