Title: PPT Secretary (70-02) (3 days weekly) Location: Guelph Regional Office, Local Services and Member Organizing Division, 400 Speedvale Ave W, Unit A, Guelph, ON, N1H 8H3 Reporting to: Supervisor, Regions 1 & 2 Search Type: Open to all OPSEU/SEFPO members Salary: $1,547.00 to $1,670.00 per week pro-rated (Range 6 – Support) Working Conditions: As provided in the OPSSU/OPSEU/SEFPO Collective Agreement
Principal Duties:
Provides secretarial and clerical support services within the Regional Office:
Responds to enquiries
Updates membership records, lists and databases
Liaises with staff in other areas of the organization and with outside contacts to facilitate work of the office
Receives, takes messages and directs incoming calls and transmits to proper individual
Maintains and updates records from filing systems and/or databases
Compiles summary reports from information and internal databases
Reconciles office budget (Accountable Warrants)
Tracks, codes and processes invoices and members expenses
Tracks grievance files as required
Types reports, agreements, composes letters and acknowledgements
Proofreads and corrects prepared materials for correct grammar, format, completeness and content
Assists regional meetings and member educationals
Organizes materials for distribution
May make travel arrangements and accommodation for staff
Maintains office systems
Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
One year Community College Diploma and five years related work experience (or an equivalent combination of education and experience)
Knowledge of office management principles
Knowledge of OPSEU/SEFPO organization, structure and policies
Understanding of and commitment to labour movement and social democratic philosophy
Understanding of and commitment to the principles of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion
Requires intermediate PC skills and knowledge of relevant software packages
Requires tact and diplomacy skills
OPSEU/SEFPO supports employment equity. Racialized workers, women, Indigenous workers, LGBTQ2S+ workers and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For the purpose of statistical data collection, applicants are strongly encouraged to voluntarily self-identify. OPSEU/SEFPO’s diverse workplace also supports Francophone workers and young workers.
A total of 60% or greater must be achieved in the competition process to obtain the position.
Please advise should you require any accommodation to participate in this competition.
Expression of Interest – 2-step process:
Submit your resume with cover letter in Word or PDF to competitions@opseu.org quoting “24.040 – PPT Secretary (70-02) (3 days weekly), Guelph R.O.” by 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on September 23, 2024;
To be considered in the job competition, it’s essential to complete both steps of the two-step submission process. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from consideration.
The Social Mapping Project (SMP) is an important piece of our work to strengthen our union together.
OPSEU/SEFPO members throughout the entire province will be asked to complete a survey to learn more about who we are and how to make our union stronger. To receive your personalized survey link, register or update your information on the member portal before October 1.
For more information on how to register or update your information, click here. If you have questions that this guide does not answer, you can contact us at memberportal@opseu.org.
We want all our voices to be heard.
We have come a long way but there is so much to be done to make our union and our province more equitable and just. By participating in this project, you can be a part of making that happen.
Join your colleagues across Ontario for a virtual Bargaining Town Hall on Thursday, September 12thfrom 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The fall semester is upon us and bargaining is heating up! With the Workload Task Force report finally public, affirming our bargaining proposals and long-standing workload concerns, there is plenty to discuss – and we want to have that conversation with you!
The Bargaining Town Hall agenda will be as follows:
Welcome, Statement of Respect, Land Acknowledgement
Workload Task Force Report
Bargaining Update
Question & Answer Period
Don’t Forget: Provincial Day of Action, Monday, September 9th
On September 9th, we’ll be back at the table for the first bargaining day of the fall semester.
Let’s make sure that we send the Colleges a strong message: the workers training the workers of tomorrow are united in our fight for a fair contract!
On September 9th, we invite all members to participate in a Provincial Day of Action:
Wear purple or yellow in the workplace! Post photos with your colleagues to social media using the hashtag #TrainingOntariosFuture.
Contact your Local to find out if a Day of Action event is happening on your campus (e.g. drop-in sessions, lunch & learn, GMM).
Join colleagues across the province in celebrating our work, Training Ontario’s Future!There is much to be proud of in the work we do preparing students for meaningful careers in their communities
If you have any questions, or to send us your Day of Action photos, please get in contact with the Bargaining Team directly atbargainingteam2024@gmail.com.
We are strongest when we work towards a future together – it’ll take every one of us. Let’s start off the semester strong and ensure that not only is every one of your colleagues informed, but also engaged – ready to take part in the fight and turn up the heat!
In solidarity,
Your CAAT-A Bargaining Team:
Ravi Ramkissoonsingh, L242, Chair (he/him)
Michelle Arbour, L125, Vice-Chair (she/her)
Chad Croteau, L110 (he/him)
Bob Delaney, L237 (he/him)
Martin Lee, L415 (he/him)
Sean Lougheed, L657 (he/him)
Rebecca Ward, L732 (she/her)
Title: Staff Representative (56-64) Location: Brockville Regional Office, Local Services and Member Organizing Division, 133 King St W, Unit 204, Brockville, ON K6V 6Z1 Reporting to: Supervisor, Regions 3 & 4 Search Type: Open to all OPSEU/SEFPO members Salary: $1,974.00 to $2,193.00 per week (Range 4 – Pro-Tech) Working Conditions: As provided in the OPSSU/OPSEU/SEFPO Collective Agreement
Principal Duties:
Represents members and locals as Bargaining Agent in bargaining or dispute resolution forums in a resource, advocacy or spokesperson role. Represents members in grievance handling and delivers educational programs:
Provides advice to members and staff regarding bargaining/dispute resolution issues etc.
Negotiates contracts and other agreements
Develops and writes contract/dispute settlement language
Develops new, innovative bargaining/dispute resolution strategies and positions
Researches and prepares arguments and proposals for collective bargaining
Provides servicing support to organizing/re-organizing campaigns
Provides leadership and advice to members in strike preparation and strikes
Provides leadership in development of strong active locals and positive links within the labour community
Prepares for and facilitates educational programs
Attends and assists in general membership meetings and elections and votes as required
Performs other related duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Undergraduate degree and four years of related work experience (or equivalent combination education and experience)
Knowledge of bargaining trends, settlements, labour and other related legislation, arbitration awards
Knowledge of OPSEU/SEFPO organization, structure and policies
Understanding of and commitment to labour movement and social democratic philosophy
Understanding of and commitment to the principles of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion
Requires facilitation, advocacy and numeracy skills
Requires intermediate PC skills and knowledge of relevant software packages and internal databases
Requires tact and diplomacy skills
OPSEU/SEFPO supports employment equity. Racialized workers, women, Indigenous workers, LGBTQ2S+ workers and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For the purpose of statistical data collection, applicants are strongly encouraged to voluntarily self-identify. OPSEU/SEFPO’s diverse workplace also supports Francophone workers and young workers.
A total of 60% or greater must be achieved in the competition process to obtain the position.
Please advise should you require any accommodation to participate in this competition.
Expression of Interest – 2-step process:
Submit your resume with cover letter in Word or PDF to competitions@opseu.org quoting “24.013 – Staff Representative (56-64), Brockville R.O.” by 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on September 20, 2024;
To be considered in the job competition, it’s essential to complete both steps of the two-step submission process. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from consideration.
Title: Staff Representative (56-64) Location: Brockville Regional Office, Local Services and Member Organizing Division, 133 King St W, Unit 204, Brockville, ON K6V 6Z1 Reporting to: Supervisor, Regions 3 & 4 Search Type: Open to all OPSEU/SEFPO members Salary: $1,974.00 to $2,193.00 per week (Range 4 – Pro-Tech) Working Conditions: As provided in the OPSSU/OPSEU/SEFPO Collective Agreement
Principal Duties:
Represents members and locals as Bargaining Agent in bargaining or dispute resolution forums in a resource, advocacy or spokesperson role. Represents members in grievance handling and delivers educational programs:
Provides advice to members and staff regarding bargaining/dispute resolution issues etc.
Negotiates contracts and other agreements
Develops and writes contract/dispute settlement language
Develops new, innovative bargaining/dispute resolution strategies and positions
Researches and prepares arguments and proposals for collective bargaining
Provides servicing support to organizing/re-organizing campaigns
Provides leadership and advice to members in strike preparation and strikes
Provides leadership in development of strong active locals and positive links within the labour community
Prepares for and facilitates educational programs
Attends and assists in general membership meetings and elections and votes as required
Performs other related duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Undergraduate degree and four years of related work experience (or equivalent combination education and experience)
Knowledge of bargaining trends, settlements, labour and other related legislation, arbitration awards
Knowledge of OPSEU/SEFPO organization, structure and policies
Understanding of and commitment to labour movement and social democratic philosophy
Understanding of and commitment to the principles of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion
Requires facilitation, advocacy and numeracy skills
Requires intermediate PC skills and knowledge of relevant software packages and internal databases
Requires tact and diplomacy skills
OPSEU/SEFPO supports employment equity. Racialized workers, women, Indigenous workers, LGBTQ2S+ workers and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For the purpose of statistical data collection, applicants are strongly encouraged to voluntarily self-identify. OPSEU/SEFPO’s diverse workplace also supports Francophone workers and young workers.
A total of 60% or greater must be achieved in the competition process to obtain the position.
Please advise should you require any accommodation to participate in this competition.
Expression of Interest – 2-step process:
Submit your resume with cover letter in Word or PDF to competitions@opseu.org quoting “24.013 – Staff Representative (56-64), Brockville R.O.” by 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on September 20, 2024;
To be considered in the job competition, it’s essential to complete both steps of the two-step submission process. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from consideration.
Dates: Oct 21, Oct 28 and Nov 4, 2024, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm each evening (each course runs over the duration of the 3 evenings)
Application deadline: Friday, Sept 20.
Region 1 is offering the following two virtual courses:
OPSEU/SEFPO at a Glance: Through the Eyes of the Provincial Young Workers Committee
The history of OPSEU/SEFPO is rich and varied. This labour history course will examine how OPSEU/SEFPO began; how it evolved from a staff association to a full-fledged union; how social unionism and equity are a vital part of OPSEU/SEFPO; and how our past will help us to continue to make OPSEU/SEFPO a strong part of the labour movement in the future.
Stewards 2: Facing the Employer, Building Member Involvement
Prerequisite: Stewards 1
This follow-up to Stewards 1 focuses on investigating and writing a grievance, facing management, and involving members in worksite action.
Participants will use their own Collective Agreements to identify grievances. They will become immersed in an evolving case study where they interview a grievor, write up a grievance, face the employer at a Step 1, and make a presentation on safety issues to the union side of the Joint Health and Safety Committee. They will examine the elements of effective mobilization and develop a campaign strategy for a local. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements.
Please ensure to provide your personal email address (employer email addresses will NOT be accepted).
The participant and course selection process will be carried out in accordance with the OPSEU/SEFPO Education Policy.
When registering, participants must confirm that they have access to a computer with proper internet connections (training can NOT be completed over a cell phone). The computer must have audio and a camera. We highly recommend leaving the camera ‘on’ during the training for full participation.
This virtual training is being delivered via ZOOM. If you do not have ZOOM, please download the free ZOOM software at www.zoom.us in
advance of the training.
Please Note: As these courses are being held virtually, no Expenses will be reimbursed including Family/Attendant Care & Child Care
Expenses, except in special circumstances where expenses have been pre-approved. To inquire further about pre-approval, please email Ange
Thompson, Convener at athompson@opseu.org and copy Mary MacDonald, Regional Secretary at mmacdonald@opseu.org.
LOST WAGES will NOT be reimbursed. OWN TIME is NOT paid for virtual training. *LBED members must submit an RUL (unpaid). If required,
you are responsible for making your own time-off arrangements.
As a reminder in accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO policy, full attendance is mandatory for all participants at the educational. If you are unable to attend with Full Attendance, without an acceptable reason, you will not receive credit for the course and your expenses (if any) may not be paid.
Location: OPSEU/SEFPO Sudbury Regional Office, Large Membership Hall, 866 Newgate Avenue Unit 2, Sudbury ON., P3A 5J9
Dates: Oct 19 from 9 am to 4:30 pm Oct 20, 2024 from 9 am to 1 pm
Application deadline: Noon on Wednesday, Sept 11.
The Local Treasurers Course is aimed at Local Treasurers and Trustees who are either new to the role or experienced members who are seeking a “refresher course.” The goal is to give the necessary tools and education to Local Treasurers and Trustees in order for them to fulfill their roles in the Local. It will also draw on members’ experiences to solve problems occurring with the administration of Local funds.
Applications
Completed application forms must include the signed recommendation of a Local Executive Officer (an approval via email from an LEC will be accepted if a signature is not possible) and be received by the Sudbury Regional Office no later than noon on September 11, 2024. Please download and complete this application form and email it to jsviezikas@opseu.org
Event info
Meals
Meals will not be provided.
Lost Wages/Time Off
Per past practice, lost wages will be paid for those members who are scheduled to work on these days or the nightshift before. Any claim for lost wages must be substantiated by proof from your employer.
Selection Process – Education Policy Section 7 (Policy Manual)
The selection process will be in accordance with the Education Policy – Section 7 of the Policy Manual. All Local Presidents have an OPSEU/SEFPO Policy Manual. Please contact your Local President to review this policy. Applicants will be notified via email after September 13 of their acceptance for the educational.
Cancellations
Notification by a member to cancel course attendance should be received by both the local president and the regional office no later than 48 hours before commencement of the regional school. When a member does not attend and the Regional office has not been notified 48 hours prior to the school’s commencement, the member will be assessed a $50.00 penalty. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
Family/attendant care
Family/Attendant Care will be reimbursed as per OPSEU/SEFPO policy as outlined on the back of the expense claim. Such allowance is not intended to reimburse the claimant for dependant/family expenses they would have normally incurred as a result of employment except where the absence exceeds the normal workday or week. Family/dependent care will be reimbursed as per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy Manual.
Upcoming Region 6 Educationals
February 8 – 9 2025, – Sudbury
Stewards 2
Health & Safety in the Workplace-1
Duty to Accommodate 1
Cross Cultural Communication at Work: A Union Perspective
North Bay Pride 2024 is just around the corner (September 12 -14), and we are thrilled to invite you to participate in this year’s events and celebrations! This is a fantastic opportunity to come together, celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and stand up for equality and human rights.
Why Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
This year, more than ever, we need your presence and support. Our small, close-knit community in Northern Ontario has recently faced a surge in hate and intolerance, reminding us of the importance of standing united. Pride is not just a celebration; it’s a powerful statement of solidarity and resilience. By showing up, we send a strong message that hate has no place in our community. But it’s not just about standing against hate; it’s also about showing that there are people who care deeply for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Regardless of our individual differences, we all share the common ground of supporting human rights. Your presence helps to create a visible and supportive environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and included. Together, we can demonstrate that North Bay stands for love, respect, and dignity for all.
North Bay Pride 2024 Events:
Pride Flag Raising: On September 12th, join North Bay Pride at North Bay City Hall at 4 PM for the official Raising of the flag, and opening of Pride Weekend.
Drag Show: North Bay Pride’s Annual Drag Contest is BACK! Join us on Friday, September 13, 2024 at the Capitol Centre (150 Main St East, North Bay, ON) for a night of fierce performances, stunning looks, and endless entertainment!
Doors open at 7 PM
Show starts at 8 PM
Hosted by the one and only Kitten Kaboodle from Canada’s Drag Race, this night will be an absolute showstopper!
Our all-star panel of judges includes the incredible Kimmy Couture, Icesis Couture, and Kiki Coe—so you know it’s going to be a night to remember!
Pride March: Saturday, September 14th, We would love for you to join us for the Pride March on Saturday! The march will start at 2pm from location TBA. Look for our Float, and come say hi—we can’t wait to march together and make our voices heard!
Members & family/friends looking to march with us, please stay tuned the location is TBA. We have limited space on our Float, priority is given to members with mobility needs. Please sign up to stay in the loop, or reserve your spot on the float, or let us know you’ll be marching with us. https://forms.gle/uS1ycfifVweVoHAP7
Pride Concert: Join Pride on September 14th for an unforgettable night of music, celebration, and pride! We’re thrilled to feature the incredible talents of Logan Staats, Dani Doucette, and our headliner, the one and only Kiesza!
Location: Capitol Centre, 150 Main Street East, North Bay, ON
Showtime: 7:30 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM)
Pride After-Party: Follow the concert on September 14th with an unforgettable night of music, celebration, and pride we are continuing the party late into the night with an ultimate after-party!
With special guest DJ – 2024 Canadian Choice Awards Favourite DJ – Roxysunset!
Location: Gateway City Brewery-490 Gormanville Rd, North Bay, ON P1B 8G3
: 10:30 PM (Doors open at 10 PM) until 2am
TICKETS for the After Party ft. DJ Roxysunset can be purchased ahead of time here:
Thank you for your continued support. Let’s come together to show that in North Bay, love and acceptance will always triumph over hate, and that there are many of us who care deeply for our 2SLGBTQIA+ community. No matter our individual paths, we unite in the belief that human rights are fundamental to us all.
Location: Ottawa Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent Street, K1P 5R7
Dates: Nov 3 – 5, 2024
Application deadline: 5 pm, Friday, Sept 13
The OPSEU/SEFPO Provincial Human Rights Committee ((PHRC) invites you to submit your application for the 2024 OPSEU/SEFPO Human Rights Conference! We welcome all members who are ready to reestablish and go back to basic human rights and raising awareness.
This year’s conference will be hosted in Ottawa, the nation’s capital. The theme is “Human Rights: Back to Basics + Raising Awareness.” Participants will learn more about the fundamentals of human rights. They will be encouraged and energized to put this knowledge into action. There will also be a focus on human trafficking which happens in many of our communities across the province. Participants will examine its prevalence by taking part in discussions with guest speakers with the goal of recognizing the signs to act.
Participants will be selected by the PHRC with assistance from the OPSEU/SEFPO Member Equity Unit. The selection process seeks to achieve a diverse group of attendees, representative of Indigenous, Black and racialized, and other equity groups within our membership. Confirmation will be issued to the selected participants in September. Expenses will be reimbursed as per OPSEU/SEFPO policy. Do not miss this opportunity to network, learn, share experiences, and have some fun.
Please submit your completed application no later than 5pm, Friday, September 13, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
In solidarity,
OPSEU/SEFPO Provincial Human Rights Committee
The report concludes that workload has increased for all members, in ways not reflected in our current contract language and compensation:
All modes of instructional delivery represent an increase in workload;
There has been an average increase of time on normal administrative tasks, AODA compliance and/or student accommodation, and addressing language proficiency issues;
Counsellors and Librarians report overtime without any mechanism for addressing that workload;
Partial-load members are doing work without contract coverage.
Workload language in our current Collective Agreement has gone largely unchanged since 1985.
We need a modern contract for today’s working conditions.
We have provided the path forward in our tabled proposals, which aim to establish fair workload for all workers.
After two long years, the Workload Task Force Report is now publicly available for all College Faculty. Through the concerted and consistent efforts of the OPSEU/SEFPO Workload Task Force members over the past months, the Workload Task Force Report has finally been made available – despite ongoing delays to its release.
This report is one of the largest cohesive analyses of workload affecting faculty in Canada, and one of the largest surveys of workload in any post-secondary system.
Since the introduction of the Standard Workload Form (SWF) in 1985, workload has been a key issue at the bargaining table. The current understanding of workload conditions in our Collective Agreement was established in 1985. Despite the last forty years of momentous changes to our teaching environments and modes of delivery, it has since received no major adjustments. Current workload language pre-dates the invention and widespread use of the Internet!
To modernize workload assignment in the Colleges, an award issued in 2022 by Arbitrator William Kaplan set out the terms of the new Collective Agreement to govern faculty work until September 30th, 2024 – including the creation of a Workload Task Force. For the first time, the workload of partial-load members, counsellors, and librarians was also addressed in this comprehensive study across Ontario colleges.
The Workload Task Force report – including the Chair’s recommendations – confirm what members have been saying for years: our workload has gone up, and continues to climb in ways our compensation and contracts fail to capture.
The Workload Taskforce Report: At a Glance
Key findings of the report include:
All modes of instructional delivery represented an increase in workload not recorded on our SWFs/contracts;
There has been an average increase in the amount of time spent on normal administrative tasks not recorded on our SWFs/contracts;
There has been an average increase in the amount of time used for AODA compliance and/or student accommodation not recorded on our SWFs/contracts;
There has been an average increase in the amount of time used to address language proficiency issues not recorded on our SWFs/contracts;
Counsellors and Librarians report overtime without any mechanism for addressing that workload;
Partial-load members are doing work without contract coverage;
The “use of AI, use of publisher developed tools, industry requirements, learning management system (LMS), sourcing video content, uploading presentations to platform, and preparing YouTube channels…” all represented an increase in workload not recorded on our SWFs/contracts.
At the table, we have provided the path forward in our proposals (including U1 Workload) which aim to establish a fair workload for all workers. Our proposals at the table set out to ensure that all faculty workload is accurately measured and recorded. They will also ensure that our contract language reflects current changes in our profession, including student needs.
As the SWF currently excludes them, we want to ensure that all work performed by partial-load faculty is appropriately and equitably recognized, recorded, and compensated – including work done outside the contract period. Additionally, our proposals build on our shared demands to improve collective working conditions: preventing the contracting in or out, privatization, or outsourcing of bargaining unit work in whole or in part; improving job security for partial-load faculty and employment stability for all bargaining unit members; and strengthening language around the role and workload of coordinators.
Our working conditions are student learning conditions – providing consistent, professional training for Ontario’s future labour force depends on working conditions and contract language that keeps pace with the demands of today’s college environment.
Stay Informed, Stay Engaged, Get Involved
You can stay up to date with the team and development at the table in several ways:
Members are encouraged to follow us on social media, where we are posting regular & timely updates:
On Labour Day, we pay tribute to the commitment, dedication, and sacrifice of workers who draw a line in the sand. When it comes to the fight against poverty wages, precarity, and unfairness, nothing is given freely: it is through a collective exercise of power that we improve our living and working conditions and society as a whole.
Labour Day is a celebration of the workers that have come before us, securing the rights we enjoy today and commit not to take them for granted: eight-hour work days, a minimum wage, workplace safety standards, overtime pay, parental leave, and more.
While a lot has changed over the decades, this fundamental truth has not: it is only through worker-driven, mass participation and the collective sharing of risk that we venture out towards a better future on the horizon.
The history of labour has passed us the torch: it is now our obligation to continue to fight for each other, for our communities, for our collective futures, and for the good of the entire working class.
We need to believe to our core that together, it is possible to win the fights of today. That shared belief is the foundation of the labour movement.
This Labour Day comes at a very special time in OPSEU/SEFPO history — never before have so many OPSEU/SEFPO members taken a stand for change through labour action. Workers across the province are fired up and fed up — standing up against their bosses, an anti-worker government, and corporate greed.
Members of Local 631, CMHA Cochrane-Timiskaming workers, braved freezing February temperatures in the northern stretches of Ontario in their fight against concessions, locked out for nearly three weeks. Local 5115 members, Regent Park Community Health Centre workers in Toronto at the heart of their communities, hit the picket lines during a two-week strike — and won meaningful wage gains and long-deserved improvements to benefits frozen for over three decades.
Just down the road, over 400 Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) workers of Local 535 created a living gallery on their picket lines, garnering international attention in their struggle against encroaching precarity for workers while gallery executives make a lavish living. In May, LifeLabs workers in Orillia, Barrie, Collingood, and Wasage Beach went on strike over untenable work conditions, paid sick leave, and basic respect. To the east in Ottawa, more than three hundred Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa workers — members of Local 454 — put a provincial crisis on the map, illuminating the crisis in child welfare and deteriorating conditions stemming from long-standing government neglect and underfunding.
And this summer, thousands of LCBO workers belonging to Locals under the Liquor Board Employees Division (LBED) took on the Ford government and big box billionaires — and won! Our two-week long fight engaged Ontarians across the province and forced a settlement that protects jobs and public revenues in a historic, first-ever strike of LBED workers. We showed Ontario that when workers stand shoulder to shoulder, they lead the way. Not only that, we engaged in mass public education about the importance of public revenues that fund the services everyone relies on.
While it’s been a hot labor summer (and year) of strike actions, the union has been hard at work organizing on all fronts: campaigning, organizing, bargaining, lobbying, and building coalitions. Alongside community allies and other unions, OPSEU/SEFPO is always fighting against the pressing issues of our time — from attacks on public health care and our hospitals, to unnecessary closures of beloved public institutions we all hold dear like the Ontario Science Centre and participating in social and environmental justice movements not just in our province but across the country and internationally.
The major crises of today are worker issues — they affect workers, they affect our members, and you can be sure to find OPSEU/SEFPO right alongside you at the heart of the fight!
We are a fighting union, ready to keep the momentum going: we’re putting employers and the Ford Government on notice that this is just a glimpse at what OPSEU/SEFPO members are capable of. Coming up we have tens of thousands of members going into bargaining (in the colleges, OPS Unified, corrections and across the broader public service) and members in every sector are getting organized like never before.
Our message to workers is the same as that of our neighbour down south, Shawn Fain of UAW: “Enough is enough. It’s time to decide what kind of a world we want to live in. And it’s time to decide what we are willing to do to get there.”
Happy Labour Day!
Solidarity,
JP Hornick President, OPSEU/SEFPO
Laurie Nancekivell
First Vice-President & Treasurer, OPSEU/SEFPO
