Our No. 1 priority:
Negotiating the
best possible
collective agreements

There’s nothing like a major challenge to help focus our energy in the right direction.

The re-election of the Harris government means the Tory agenda of downsizing and restructuring will continue. There’s no question it was a major setback for public service work in Ontario.

But it also presents us with a challenge. We at OPSEU must continue our efforts to achieve the best possible representation for our members. Our history over the last 25 years proves that we grow stronger with adversity. We’re not sitting back; we will continue to battle on every front.

Our major priority for the next four years will be placed on collective bargaining.

In the weeks and months ahead, OPSEU will embark on a program to improve our union contracts. We will enlist our leaders, our stewards and our staff, in a union-wide effort to upgrade our skills and our ability to represent you, the members.

Our goals are to negotiate the best possible agreements, and enforce those agreements.

OPSEU members are now covered by more than 450 collective agreements, large and small, in all sectors of the public service and in the private sector. We will be negotiating new first contracts for many members divested from the Ontario Public Service.

We will co-ordinate and sharpen our bargaining strengths so that members get the benefit of the best possible contract in each sector.

We will also clearly define roles for our bargaining teams, our local and sector leaders and our union staff, and we will provide the necessary tools to enable them to carry out those roles.

Regardless of the government in power, all of us – OPSEU leaders, activists, members and our union staff – share a collective responsibility for achieving quality collective agreements.

It’s what we do best. And when we work together, we win.

Leah Casselman, President

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