Sept. 14, 2001

OPSEU bargaining teams are getting ready to bargain a new collective agreement for OPSEU members in the Ontario Public Service.

The current contract expires Dec. 31, 2001.

The teams began setting up shop in downtown Toronto on Thursday, Sept. 6, but were stunned by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

“The attacks sickened us all,” said Marg Simmons, elected chair of the Central team. “Needless to say, it was very hard to concentrate on the work we came to Toronto to do, especially when the bank towers and other tall buildings near us were evacuated.

“On behalf of team members, I want to extend our deepest sympathy to all the victims and their families and friends.

“As public sector workers, we pay tribute to the police officers, firefighters, ambulance paramedics, and other emergency workers on the scene in New York and Washington. Those who died gave their lives for others. Those who live are toiling for others, and as American James Carville said, ‘Next to your love, the most important thing you can give anybody is your labour.’ We salute all those workers.”

In June, the employer served notice to OPSEU that it wanted to re-negotiate essential and emergency services agreements. Under the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act (CECBA), these agreements must be in place before any legal strike or lockout can occur.

In any case, essential services should not take months and months to negotiate. Many issues were negotiated or settled at arbitration at the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) in the 1998-99 round.

“Our goal in coming here, and our highest priority, is to bargain the best possible contract for OPSEU members,” said Marg Simmons. “We hope to deal with essential services as quickly as possible so we can get down to the real job.”

The Central team expects to meet the employer next week for initial discussions.

The Corrections team had a brief meeting with employer representatives this week. Formal talks related to essential services are slated for next week.

Starting next week, the Corrections team will launch the first issue of a separate newsletter to keep members up-to-date on issues at their table. Watch for it!

OPSEU members across the province elected their bargaining teams in April. Under new OPSEU procedures, there are two teams: the Central team, and the Corrections category team.

The Central team is made up of:

The Corrections team is made up of one Corrections category member from each OPSEU region.

Corrections team members

Region 1: Jack Hopkins, L. 122
Region 2: Barry Scanlon, L. 230 (vice-chair)
Region 3: Larry Cripps, L. 309
Region 4: Thomas James Bothwell, L. 467
Region 5: Dave Graves, L. 521
Region 6: Rick Dagenais, L. 642
Region 7: Len Mason, L. 737

*under OPSEU procedures, the elected chair of the Corrections team moves to the Central team. The chair’s spot on the Corrections team is filled by his or her first alternate.

Rumours fly in any round of contract talks. Throughout this round, The Real Deal and other authorized publications like OPSEU Table Talk will be your only accurate source of news about this round of bargaining. If you didn’t see it here, you can’t be sure it’s true.

Table Talk will be sent by mail to the homes of all OPSEU members in the OPS for whom we have correct addresses. If you are not receiving OPSEU publications like Our Ontario, it is likely because we do not have your address. Call your nearest OPSEU regional office, or call OPSEU head office at 1-800-268-7376 and ask for Membership Services.