June 6, 2011
Investigations committee formed
The MCSCS MERC has reached an agreement
and has formed a short-term sub-committee called the Investigations Process
Committee. The mandate of this committee is to review, discuss and provide
input to items related to the following:
· The investigations process for
Section 22 investigations;
· Surveillance equipment usage;
· Notifications of increases in
surveillance equipment;
· Development of informational
materials related to Section 22 investigations
Though this committee will not resolve
all our issues with the Section 22 process, we now have a forum in which to
bring forward our concerns and move towards change. The goal of this
committee is to bring about a more standard practice with the roles of all
participants to be recognized, and to develop a “best practice” for Section
22 investigations.
PO3 Grievance Update
On June 3 the employer and the union
appeared at the Grievance Settlement Board before the Vice Chair Bram
Herlich in the matter of the PO3 grievance.
Both parties presented their arguments in
regard to the remedy that will be ordered to satisfy the previous decision
on the PO3 grievance.
The union has put forth that that all POs
should progress from the top of the PO2 wage grid into the appropriate step
upon the PO3 wage grid.
The employer has argued that they have
fulfilled the requirements of the Board’s decision because they will be
posting four PO3 positions in both ministries.
Vice Chair Herlich has taken the
arguments and will issue a decision in the near future.
The Position Description Reports for the
four positions that the employer is proposing in each ministry are attached
in PDF form. It is the union’s position that these job descriptions are more
like Assistant Area manager jobs rather than bargaining unit positions.
Attendance stats on target
Attendance stats are currently on target
for receiving the incentive 2011 bonus under COR 15 of the Collective
Agreement.
According to Ministry figures, based on
usage for the first three months of this year Correctional Officers and
Youth Services Officers could hit the 3 per cent target.
“Save Our Jails” campaign now on the road
The “Save Our Jails” campaign has reached
the end of the first phase with the government deciding to shut down the
Legislature until after the fall election. With that comes an end to our
lobbying at Queens Park and we will now take our campaign out into the
ridings and the election trail.
The Central Employees Relation Committee
has organized a meeting for all OPS MERC members and local OPS presidents on
June 17-18. Our goals through the fight back are to advocate for quality
public services, good jobs in our communities and enforce our members’
rights through the OPS layoffs announced in the March 29 budget. Our
objectives are to equip ourselves with the strategies and tools for vigorous
contract enforcement and effective mobilization.
For information and updates on the Save
Our Jails campaign go to:
http://www.opseu.org/ops/campaigns/save_the_jails/index.htm.
In Memoriam
Darlene Humeniuk
As many of you know we lost union sister
Darlene Humeniuk on April 23, 2011. Darlene was a proud OPSEU member from
Region 1 and she always found time for her family, friends and members.
Darlene was a probation officer in MCYS
and she was the Co-Chair on the Western Regional Employee Relations
Committee. She spent time working on behalf of our members and she was also
involved in many charities. She had an impact on many of us and will be
missed.
Original authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey)
Thomas, President, Dan Sidsworth, MCSCS MERC Chair and Glenna Caldwell, MCYS
MERC Chair.
Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Road,
Toronto, Ontario M3B 3P8P8
www.opseu.org
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