Friends,
As we approach the end of an extremely challenging year, we want to say thank you to all of our hardworking members for your courageous dedication to the people of Ontario. Many of you took, and continue to take, huge risks serving on the front lines of this pandemic. You deserve all the respect and gratitude you’ve earned.
You also deserve a healthy and safe holiday season. We wish you and your loved ones the best.
What will next year bring? It’s impossible to say for sure. But even as we struggle through this second wave, our hearts are filled with hope.
We may be far apart, but we’ve never been closer.
There’s nothing like tough times to bring us together in a spirit of solidarity and sacrifice. You’ve shown by your heroic attitude and actions, how much you’ve embraced that spirit. We couldn’t be prouder of our great union than we are right now.
By standing strong together, we forced our employers to provide the safety equipment and procedures we needed to keep ourselves and the people we care for safe. We successfully pushed back against layoffs and egregious benefit cuts. And in some sectors, our calls for increased staffing were answered.
No wonder our union has grown by 5,000 members this year – workers across the province know that OPSEU/SEFPO puts its members first.
That’s why we’re feeling such optimism about the year to come. No, the pandemic won’t be over. But the days will start to get longer, more and more of us will be vaccinated, and our union is on solid footing to meet all of the challenges of 2021 with confidence.
The work of OPSEU/SEFPO stops for no holiday and many of you will be on the job through this period, taking care of Ontarians and keeping them safe. It’s that dedication that fills us with pride every day of the year. We hope you get as many chances as possible to get some time with family and get a breather.
To everyone, we hope you can enjoy this holiday period, you’ve definitely earned it.
On behalf of your entire OPSEU/SEFPO family, enjoy a very happy holiday season, and see you in a brand-new year.
In solidarity,
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU/SEFPO President
Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida, OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer