The front door: OPSEU locals
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"The purpose of establishing Locals of
the Union is to encourage participation of all Members in their Union. -
from the OPSEU Constitution
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For OPSEU members,
locals are the front door into the life
of the union.
Chartered by the Executive Board, locals have the
autonomy and the resources to do whatever they think is important for
their members. Under the
OPSEU constitution
and policy, OPSEU locals (and, where applicable, bargaining units within
locals) may:
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take part in the negotiation of collective
agreements;
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process grievances;
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establish joint labour-management committees on
local or unit working conditions;
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spend their own money;
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join local labour councils and other organizations;
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take part in social and community activities;
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elect delegates to the OPSEU Convention, union
training, and other important meetings; and
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help craft union policy.
Types of locals
OPSEU groups locals into three main types:
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In single-unit locals, all members work for the same
employer at the same location.
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In multi-unit locals, all members work for the same
employer but at different locations.
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In composite locals, members work for more than one
employer at one or more locations.
For a chart showing local structures in the different
types of locals, please see page 6 of the .pdf version of this document.
Local elections
Shop stewards are the front-line voice of the union in
the workplace. Each local or (in multi-unit or composite locals) each
unit decides how many shop stewards it needs. Each shop steward must be
elected by a clear majority of members in his or her area.
Members must be shop stewards to be elected to their
Local Executive Committee (LEC). Each LEC has a president and at least
two other officers (vice-president, secretary, treasurer,
secretary-treasurer, chief steward, etc.).
In single-unit locals, all shop stewards are automatic
members of the LEC. In multi-unit or composite locals, members in each
unit elect one or more unit stewards (from among the shop stewards) to
the LEC.
Local elections take place at well-publicized membership
meetings. In special cases, the provincial president of OPSEU may
authorize polling stations at different locations.
Local funding
OPSEU locals are funded by a quarterly dues rebate
system. Locals receive a rebate cheque each January, April, July and
October. As of July 2009, OPSEU Accounting pays each local according to
the following formula:
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For the first 50 members, the local gets $29.09 per
member.
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For each member above 50, the local gets $12.93 per
member.
No local gets less than $549.43 per quarter. Composite
locals receive an extra annual allowance of $161.60 (for locals with up
to 50 members) or $323.20 (for locals with more than 50 members).
Rebate levels are revised each year based on the union’s
overall revenues.
A typical OPSEU local with 250 members would receive
$16,160 a year in operating funds.
Convention delegate entitlements
The OPSEU Convention is the supreme governing body of
the union. Held once a year in the spring, Convention debates and decides on
constitutional changes, policy matters, and the annual budget.
Convention delegates have very important responsibilities. Electing
these delegates is one of the most important things OPSEU locals do.
Locals elect delegates to OPSEU Convention, and many
other key meetings, according to the following formula:
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Up to 150 members: 1 delegate
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151 to 300 members: 2 delegates
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301 to 500 members: 3 delegates
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501 to 800 members: 4 delegates
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801 to 1,100 members: 5 delegates
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1,101 to 1,500 members: 6 delegates
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1,501 to 1,900 members: 7 delegates
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1,901 to 2,300 members: 8 delegates
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2,301 or more members: 9 delegates
Delegate entitlements are based on signed-up members,
not the total number of employees in the local.
Local bylaws
OPSEU locals may pass their own bylaws as long as they
do not violate the OPSEU constitution and are approved by the president
of OPSEU. Locals that do not pass bylaws are governed by the bylaws in
Article 29 of the constitution.
Local numbering
The OPSEU Executive Board assigns local numbers. The
first digit in the local number indicates what region the local is in.
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Next: Province-wide coordination:
OPSEU’s sectors and divisions
