Your home in OPSEU

Union action is united action. No matter where they work, union members become stronger when they take action together.

What’s a sector? What’s a division?

OPSEU’s sectors and divisions (the two words mean the same thing) have one purpose: to unite members from across the province who have workplace issues in common.

In some sectors, like the Ontario Public Service, all members work for the same employer. The same is true for the Property Assessment Division, the Liquor Board Employees Division, and the two community college divisions (Academic and Support). In some sectors and divisions, members work for different employers that provide the same or similar services. The Children’s Aid sector, with 21 different employers providing child protection services, is a typical example.

The work of sectors and divisions

Like OPSEU locals, OPSEU sectors and divisions have bylaws that set out the rules under which they work, including the way in which sector leaders and committees are elected. The number one job of divisions and sectors is to coordinate the activities of their members. Divisions and sectors may:

• plan pre-bargaining conferences to help members prepare for demand-setting;

• decide on common bargaining issues;

• organize a province-wide strike vote;

• campaign around a public policy issue, e.g., the need to rebuild public services, or to stop privatization; or

• develop an organizing policy to bring union rights to more workers.

These are examples only. There are really very few limits on the activities divisions and sectors can get involved in.

Budget matters

Budgets for OPSEU divisions and sectors vary widely depending on their activities.  All divisions prepare a budget detailing all expenditures they have planned. The OPSEU Executive Board and Convention then allocate funds through the annual budget process.

Some divisions and sectors also collect their own dues that are paid for out of local rebates. This money is used to supplement central funding to send members to conferences, fund scholarships, make donations, and cover other small expenses.

Divisional Councils

In two areas of OPSEU, several divisions and sectors are grouped together to work as Divisional Councils.

The Health Care Divisional Council provides an umbrella for OPSEU’s seven health care divisions:  Ambulance, Community Health Care Professionals, Health Care Support, Hospital Professionals, Long Term Care Facilities, Mental Health, and Canadian Blood Services & Diagnostics.

The Community Services Divisional Council is the umbrella organization for OPSEU members working in Developmental Services, Children’s Aid, Children’s Treatment, and (youth) Correctional Centres.

The purpose of the Divisional Councils is to work on issues that go beyond the concerns of individual sectors. The work of the councils includes:

• coordinating the activities of member divisions;

• developing recommendations on policy matters that affect members in more than one division;

• monitoring trends and issues that affect division members;

• working closely with staff; and

• developing recommendations and motions for presentation to the OPSEU Executive Board.

Communication is key to the work of the Divisional Councils. The Health Care Divisional Council publishes a bi-weekly newsletter, Dialogue, that is e-mailed to OPSEU members working in health care and posted to the OPSEU web site.

OPSEU divisions and sectors (2009)

All figures are current as of mid-August 2009 and include all active workers in OPSEU bargaining units. This does not include those on leave. Full contact information for the elected leaders of each sector and division is available at www.opseu.org/ContactUs/executivelisting.htm.

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