April 30, 2001

Introducing your 2001 team!

The ballots have been cast, and your 2001 OPS bargaining team is now preparing to do battle with the Mike Harris government.

On April 21, seven OPSEU Regional delegates were elected to the OPS Central bargaining team. On Saturday, April 28, six category representatives were elected to complete the 13-member team.

The results are:

Administrative Category: Michel Chaumont, L. 623
Corrections Category: Mark Kotanen, L. 128
Institutional and Health Care Category: James Roland, L. 720
Office Administration Category: Sandra Noad, L. 101
Technical/Operational and Maintenance Category: Peter Wall, L. 638
Unclassified Workers: Darwin Lacelle, L. 447

These six members now join the delegates elected at last week’s Regional Bargaining Conferences. They are:

Region 1: Steve Nield, Local 123
Region 2: Marg Simmons, L. 263
Region 3: Laurie Chapman, L. 323
Region 4: Jeff Bendig, Local 434
Region 5: Teri Breau-Auzins, L. 506
Region 6: Serge Valcourt, Local 634
Region 7: Joseph Catroppa, Local 736

The 13 members of the Central Team then cast ballots to elect their Chair and Vice-Chair. The results are:

Chair: Marg Simmons, L. 263
Vice Chair: Mark Kotanen, L. 128

Communication is the key to power

President Leah Casselman welcomed delegates to the April 28 conference by congratulating them for jumping all of the election hurdles to get to the meeting “You are one in a thousand,” President Casselman said. “There are about 45,000 members in the OPS, and there are 49 of you here today, so you might say that each of you represents roughly a thousand people. That’s a mathematical calculation only. When we leave here today, every one of us will be part of a single team that represents all 45,000 people.”

Andy Todd, Chief Negotiator, Joyce Hansen, Researcher and Jan Borowy, Campaigns Officer, gave presentations to the delegates on critical information relevant to the upcoming round of bargaining.

Delegates also reviewed the results of the brainstorming sessions held at last week’s conferences, and confirmed that communication is critical to achieving the best contract possible. The emphasis for this round is dialogue - between the bargaining team, the mobilizers and the membership. Importance was also placed on establishing a feedback loop to ensure information is flowing in all directions.

The bargaining workbook, “Getting an ‘A’ Contract,” will be available to all local stewards at OPSEU’s regional offices by Wed., May 2.

President Casselman told the delegates that she expects great things from this round of bargaining.

“When someone asks you, ‘What did you do when Mike Harris was Premier?’ you will not have to cough, or blush, or say, ‘in those days, I hid under my desk.’ No, brothers and sisters, you will be able to say, “I was part of the team that led 45,000 workers to kick Mike Harris’s ass.”

Produced by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Road, Toronto M3B 3P8.
Web: www.opseu.org; e-mail: opseu@opseu.org.
Original authorized for distribution by Leah Casselman, president. 

OPS Bargaining 2001: Index

Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Rd. Toronto, ON M3B 3P8  (416) 443-8888  www.opseu.org