The Central Enforcement and Renewal Committee (CERC)

Inplacement Agreement

Survey for OPSEU members in the OPS: How well have the McGuinty Liberals lived up to their promise to rebuild public services? Have your say.

Have a question?  Send the CERC Team an email

Central Enforcement and Renewal Committee Minutes 
April 2007
For previous minutes, please check index at the right

October 4, 2005 CERC-MERC Minutes process

Meet YOUR Central Enforcement and Renewal Committee

Roxanne Barnes started working for the Ontario Public Service as a Summer Student in Developmental Services, where she began her fulltime career. Roxanne has worked for the OPS for 28 years in the Ministry of Community and Social Services. In 1992 Roxanne switched careers in the OPS due to the closure of Muskoka Centre. Roxanne went on to be an Income Maintenance Officer in Family Benefits, known today as the Ontario Disability Support Program. Roxanne has been active in OPSEU throughout her time in the OPS providing leadership at the local, regional and provincial levels. Roxanne sat on two OPS bargaining teams, had the opportunity to do a MDT as a Job Security Officer, has been a member of the ODSP Subcommittee for approximately 14 years, was elected to her MERC in 2002 and assumed the chair two months after joining the team. Roxanne was elected the CERC representative from the OPS bargaining team and was further elected the Chair of CERC at the all chairs meeting on June 1, 2009. Roxanne is very committed to her role within the union and is up for the challenge. "I will work hard on your behalf. The next four years will be exciting and challenging, but your new team is ready."

OPSEU: 416-443-8888 ext. 8259
C: 416-809-2791
HE: roxbarnes@gmail.com 

Christopher Cormier has worked for 9 years as a Seasonal Unclassified, Residence Counsellor at Sagonaska Demonstration School in Belleville. Chris first got involved in his OPSEU local in 2001, first as a steward, Picket Captain, and has held other various positions in his local. Chris was elected as local president in 2006 and is currently serving his second term as president. Chris was elected to the first Provincial Young Workers Committee in 2005. Chris has been a member of the Ministry of Education MERC over the past 4 years. Chris also is a member of the Joint Employment Stability Subcommittee of the CERC, and Training and Development Subcommittee of the CERC. In 2008, Chris was elected as the Region 4 Representative for the Central Bargaining Team. In his community, Chris is a member of the Quinte Area Council as well as the Quinte District Labour Council. He is looking forward to working with the CERC team to continue to improve labour relations and strengthen OPSEU's Agenda. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his friends and family.

Work: 613.967.2830 ext. 285
C: 416-528-5346
HE: chrisopseu@hotmail.com 

Member - Ron Langer joined the OPS following a twelve year career in the private sector where he worked in the financial industry in various business development and lending capacities. Ron was initially hired by the Ontario Development Corporation during the last recession, to assist in their Manufacturing Recovery Programme. After the Harris government wound down the ODC, Ron continued his OPS career with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade's Investment Division and is presently a Senior Business Advisor, Business Advisory Services Branch in MEDT.

In 2002 Ron was elected Vice Chair of MEDT's MERC team and became Chair a few weeks later. He was elected President of Local 103 (London and Aylmer composite) in 2004, a position he continues to hold. Ron is also an active member of the London Area Council and London and District Labour Council.

Ron is a passionate advocate for the rebuilding of Public Services in the OPS and has vigourously opposed privatization, divestment and intrusion of AMAPCEO at the expense of OPSEU. He has also lobbied for the revitalization of MEDT, advocating for an industrial policy to assist the manufacturing sector during this current recession.

C: 519.670.8780
Work: 519 873-4478
HE: ron_opseu103@hotmail.com 

The purpose of the Central Enforcement and Renewal Committee* (CERC) is to promote and facilitate consultation and communication between OPSEU and our OPS employer on issues of joint interest. We make sure that what was bargained in the collective agreement is actually happening in our workplaces. If a multi-Ministry workplace policy is unfair, we file a policy grievance.

We are your bargaining team between rounds of bargaining. When the union is not negotiating a collective agreement, the CERC is the forum for discussion and resolution of corporate labour relations matters that affect OPSEU members in more than one Ministry.

The CERC team and the chairs of each Ministry Enforcement and Renewal Committee (MERC) form a working group that meets regularly to address issues in each Ministry. These issues are addressed directly with the employer at the senior level. This senior level for the government is Management Board Secretariat.

Here’s how it works

Each Local in the Ontario Public Service should have an elected Local Enforcement and Renewal Committee (LERC) which meets with local management to resolve issues that have been brought to their attention. Minutes of LERC meetings are distributed and posted in each workplace.

Issues not resolved at the Local level may be referred to the MERC. The MERC team addresses issues that affect members in the whole Ministry. The minutes of these meetings are posted on the employer’s and union’s websites.

To have a Local issue addressed at the Ministry level, send a copy of the local minutes that outline the unresolved issue to your MERC Chair, with a completed referral form. Referral forms are attached to the minutes of each MERC meeting. For a complete listing of MERCs and how to contact them, please see http://www.opseu.org/ops/merc/mercindex.htm.

Issues not resolved at the Ministry level are referred to the Central Employee Relations Committee (CERC) for resolution. The CERC also deals with issues that affect the OPS as a whole. The CERC meets once a month. Minutes of meetings are also posted on the employer’s and union’s websites. http://www.opseu.org/ops/cerc/cercindex.htm.

* The OPSEU collective agreement for the OPS officially refers to the CERC, the MERCs, and the LERCs as “Employee Relations Committees.” OPSEU prefers “Enforcement and Renewal Committees.” This term is more descriptive of the Committees’ purpose.