Our staff keep us afloat
March 16,2009
Union business is lots of work these days. Volunteers can’t
do it all.
It’s been “all hands on deck” for our staff over the past
year as OPSEU weathered a “perfect storm” of bargaining and some massive
organizing drives for new members.
Now, perhaps more than ever, as we face tougher times ahead,
our union will depend on expert and professional help to keep afloat.
Our staff assist members and locals on a wide range of
complex issues, and they help negotiate and enforce our collective
agreements, organize new members, and lobby governments for positive change.
OPSEU handles the largest grievance caseload in the country
and we maintain a hectic bargaining and arbitration schedule that couldn’t
get done without the help of staff.
We have experts in health and safety, pensions, benefits,
compensation and equity to assist locals and members. Our communications are
constantly being updated and we know how to mobilize our members when we
have to.
We maintain a province-wide network of offices and
membership centres and provide a solid educational program for our members.
And we extend our solidarity to national and international causes.
Staff help us do all that. I see first-hand how our head
office staff make sure our day-to-day operations of accounting, dues
collection, printing and our digital information systems are working well.
So on behalf of the Executive Board and all of OPSEU
members, I’d like to thank all our staff - professional, technical and
support.
They are a dedicated bunch, and we appreciate it.
In solidarity,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President
