There is an old proverb that states “May you live in
interesting times.” It sounds good until you really think about it…I
believe it was meant as more of a curse than anything else.
2012 looks to be a good example of living in
interesting times. From all indications, this will be the year our
union engages in one of the biggest fights we have seen. We will
fight against the government’s mandated attack on the very work we
do daily to provide service and support to our communities, our
friends and, of course, our families.
This escalation of war on workers has been given by
the McGuinty government to the Drummond Commission, headed by none
other than its namesake, Don (The Demolition Man) Drummond. This
former Vice-President of the Toronto Dominion Bank of Canada has
been personally handed $1,500 per day of taxpayers’ dollars (not
including what his entourage is being paid daily) to be little
more than the government’s future scapegoat for smashing our Ontario
into pieces.
Given what our union has been hearing from the
commission’s latest comments (such as slashing Ministry budgets to
the bone and eliminating programs en masse), it is clear that he and
his so-called advisors haven’t stepped far from the “big bank
thinking” that marked his pre-retirement life.
There will be many threats and challenges for OPSEU
members and workers in general in 2012. These will be made clearer
in the upcoming Ontario Budget, when the Drummond Commission’s
recommendations will shape not only our everyday work, but will
reshape the services provided to all Ontarians.
OPSEU’s strength as a union is our ability to work
together as a collective and support everything our members
contribute to the everyday well-being, safety and security of our
communities.
I am proud to say that our union is already
responding to what lies ahead. Take a survey of the many OPSEU
programs and projects that are underway. Information on many of
these can be found on the OPSEU website. Review the scope of OPSEU
members’ work, our great achievements and the communities we touch.
The actions of our union are broad and wide-sweeping. A lot of this
work is built on balanced budgets that respect the money the members
provide through their dues.
We are providing members with a clear picture of
what the union is undertaking, as well as what we expect for the
future. At the same time, we are proceeding with due diligence to
control expenditures without affecting services to our members. For
example, video conferencing for Executive Board meetings will result
in the ability to make the same decisions at a fraction of the cost
of always getting together face-to-face. We have successfully
piloted this project for the Officers, and will have our first video
conference for the full Executive Board soon.
To maintain this work requires resources. We need
funds to continue building an incredibly healthy strike fund, to
continue activist regional educationals, to move towards modern web
interactive programs such as registration for events and expense
claims, to have accessible regional offices and membership centres,
to work on getting the pay equity you are entitled to, as well as
many more progressive initiatives.
Most of all, given the frequency that situations are
thrust upon our members without warning, we need the ability to
react quickly when members need action. That means the financial
reserves must exist to cover situations that can’t be anticipated.
When the Board approves action based on members’ needs, we must have
the funds to cover the cost.
Thanks to the proposed budget the Executive Board
has worked on and approved, we have achieved that ability for 2012.
The changes in the budget will also ensure we, as a union, can cover
our costs in 2013. I want to thank the Board for working towards
this goal.
The Executive Board is proposing a temporary dues
levy that will bring dues from 1.375 per cent to 1.5 per cent,
effective May 1, 2012. For members earning $48,000 per year this
will result in a dues increase of $1.15 per week. For a $20,000 per
year earner, it will mean and increase of just 48 cents a week. The
temporary levy will be revisited in 2014.
The OPSEU budget for 2012 will ensure that we have
the funds to support the many programs and actions that will be part
of this effort. That budget will ensure OPSEU remains a leading
union with a strong voice when we represent members at the
bargaining table, in legal proceedings, when strikes occur, when we
campaign, when we fight for human rights, when we assist members
with pension and benefit problems, and as we provide service through
OPSEU regional offices and membership centres.
OPSEU activists and members will be confident in the
fact that they will continue to get the services and support they
need from their union. By working together we’ll ensure that public
services remain a foundation for life in communities across Ontario.
You will also be doing a lot to secure your work and job.
As we continue to move into 2012, the stakes have
seldom been higher. Many OPSEU members are heading into bargaining.
In the coming months, contracts covering over 200 units and tens of
thousands of members will be negotiated. With commitment, and the
resources to back it up, we can do a lot to ensure a good outcome
for members. This will mean secure jobs, improved wages, benefits,
pensions and additional assurance that public services continue. It
is just that simple. So what are the practical things we can all do
now?
First, support your local union leaders, health and
safety committees and negotiations committees. Great strength can
only come when we work together. Fighting amongst ourselves only
benefits the employer. The members who have put their hands up to
volunteer for such positions do so for everyone’s gain. Our elected
members are the building blocks for a strong union and local. They
must have the support of the members…united we bargain, divided we
beg.
Next, members, locals and sectors should do all they
can to participate in the Hearings for Quality Public Services
and Tax Fairness presented by the Public Services Foundation
of Canada, with OPSEU’s support. Make a submission from your local
or sector or speak as a member at town hall meetings. You can find
out more at
www.standupontario.org .
Additionally, get active in your community by
speaking out about the importance of public services and programs.
We know that 2012 will not be an easy year, with unemployment high
and financial markets in flux. Make an effort to tell your story to
others. Tell them what you contribute to the economy: what services
you use, the businesses you support and the taxes you willingly pay
because you know taxes should be going to benefit communities, NOT
profit-rich banks and huge corporations that only care about making
the wealthy one per cent even richer.
Every OPSEU member can help widen people’s eyes to
the value of the work we do. We must be the main spokespeople on the
value of public services. We must educate and change the thinking of
those who feel WE are the problem with the economy.
Big corporations, through politicians like Dalton
McGuinty and Tim Hudak, have already convinced many of the illusion
that workers are the enemy. Now it is our time to stand up, speak
out, and shatter those illusions. It is my privilege to stand up
with you. Together, we will succeed.
