Results of the OPS Contract Vote
Friday, January 30, 2009 - 8:30 PM
The results of the OPS Contract vote are as follows:
Central:
86 per cent in favour - Agreement Ratified
(Turnout was 57 per cent)
Unified Bargaining Unit:
95 per cent in favour - Agreement Ratified
(Turnout was 54 per cent)
Corrections Bargaining Unit:
89 per cent against - Employer Offer Rejected
(Turnout was 77 per cent)
Below is the Press Release that is being sent out this evening.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2009
Corrections workers vote for strike;
remainder of public service accept agreement
TORONTO - Nearly 5,500 Corrections workers who work in Ontario's correctional facilities and supervise offenders in the community have voted 89 per cent in favour of strike action.
At issue is a government plan that would penalize correctional officers and youth workers for taking more than five sick days a year. Dave Kerr, chair of the Corrections bargaining team, says he is pleased that his members have supported the team, and is looking forward to returning to the bargaining table.
"This strong rejection should show the government that our ALL of our members are not interested in an offer that punishes correctional officers and youth workers, even those not affected by it," Kerr said. "Probation and probation and parole officers, along with bailiffs and non-uniform members in the institutions and in the community have all rejected this offer. We know we can work with the government to come to an acceptable agreement that addresses long-standing issues in Corrections."
The remaining 35,000 OPS members who work directly for the Ontario government have ratified their tentative agreement. That agreement contains a wage increase of 7.75 per cent over four years, along with improvements to benefits, job security and gains for contract workers.
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, says he is pleased that part of the OPS has ratified, and will fully back the Corrections Unit as they return to bargaining.
"The Province showed a great deal of cooperation in getting the tentative agreements for all of our members outside of Corrections," Thomas said. "Now they need to show the same resolve with our Corrections members."
TableTalk update
The latest bargaining and mobilizing news for OPS members
December 24, 2008 update
Central/Unified: We did it! 
(74k)
At 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 24, the Central and Unified Bargaining Teams did what many said couldn’t be done: They signed a tentative agreement for a new collective agreement. They did it without a strike vote, and before the current contract expired. The bargaining teams are unanimously recommending that their members accept the deal.
For OPSEU, this is an historic and ground-breaking achievement. “We have made huge strides in OPS bargaining,” said Eric Morin, Chair of the Central/Unified teams. “From the beginning, we told the employer and our members that all we wanted was a fair and reasonable offer. We believe that we have it, and are happy to recommend our members accept it.
Highlights of the four-year agreement include:
• A wage increase of 1.75 per cent in the first year, and 2 percent per year in the remaining three years
• Increases for special cases for Conservation Officers, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physical Laboratory Technologists, Nurses, Geoscientists, Safety Instruction Officers, Senior Marine Engineers, Vessel Masters and Waste and Water Project Operators
• Increases to shift premiums, on-call rates and meal allowances
• Max + merit now converted to step on the wage grid
• A new wage level for Systems Officers
• The creation of 230 new Information and Information Technology positions
• Improvements for unclassified employees on seniority provisions and bereavement leave
• Unclassifieds to move through wage grid based on actual hours worked
• Unclassifieds to receive 4.6 per cent holiday pay in recognition of Family Day
• Reduction of the dental deductible to $50 per year
• Improvements to dental benefits, including pit and fissure coverage and major restorative
• New coverage for vaccines, and having the cost of eye exams not included in the $340 allowance.
• Employer to pay 100 per cent of the premiums on vision and hearing aids
• Improvements for court reporters with respect to garment replacements
• RPTs and seasonal employees have access to posted jobs
• Wage increases for student employees
Big takeaways staved off
Major progress was made on the employer’s big three takeaways, Termination Pay Accrual, Surplus Factor 80 and Reasonable Efforts.
The loss of accrual for Termination Pay only applies to employees who resign – those who retire still receive their full entitlement of one week of pay for every year of service to a maximum of 26 weeks. Surplus Factor 80 still applies to all members, but it is now the last option after bumping and redeployment. These two provisions were to assist the government in retaining their senior experienced people.
As for the loss of “reasonable efforts” language, the employer removed that proposal from the bargaining table.
Everyone deserves credit
This historic agreement would not have happened without the incredible work of some very dedicated people.
“First, I want to thank our teams,” said Eric Morin. “They worked very hard and made a lot of sacrifices to get to this agreement. We also had amazing support from OPSEU staff negotiators and Head Office staff who kept us on track. Then there are our member mobilizers: The work they did to spread the word and get the members excited about bargaining was phenomenal. Never in the history of OPS bargaining have more members been engaged and interested in their contract.”
But the biggest salute, Morin says, goes to the members themselves. “It was our members who made the difference. They gave us their trust and support, and, when the time came, showed their strength and solidarity in the workplace. So much so, the employer voiced their concerns about it at the bargaining table. That is what really brought everything together.”
Watch for the agreements in early January
The full agreements, along with a more detailed analysis of the offer, will be posted in early January. On Jan. 17, OPS Local Presidents will meet in Toronto to hear from the bargaining teams. Voting on the tentative agreements will take place from Jan. 27-29.
Details times and locations of the OPS president’s meeting and the vote times and locations will be available in the New Year.
Corrections stands firm
Late Monday night, the Corrections team asked the employer for a final offer after failing to get the employer to stop their attack on sick time.
The Corrections Team persisted throughout Tuesday to get the employer to respond, but the employer didn’t respond until late Tuesday night. Unfortunately, the removal of Correctional Officers and Youth Workers from the OPS sick plan remained in the employer’s offer.
“We have vowed to stand firm on this issue,” said David Kerr, Chair of the Corrections Team. “The employer is determined to punish our members for what is basically the employer’s negligence in allowing our institutions to deteriorate. They refuse to correct the problems, and want to blame our members for suffering the effects.”
The employer’s offer contains the same wage increase as the Unified bargaining unit along with a special adjustment for Correctional Officers and Youth Workers only, as well as slight improvements to meal allowance and on-call pay. Schedule 6 Probation and Probation and Parole Officers would receive time and one-half pay for working overtime on weekends and holidays, but only if pre-authorized by the employer. The employer also wants to create only 10 (ten) PO3 positions province-wide, which would be filled by competition. The employer has also offered a 50/30 pension option, which would allow Correctional Officers and Youth Workers to retire if they are both 50 years old AND have 30 years service (this currently affects less than 400 members). But all of this hinges on the acceptance of the employer’s punitive sick time plan.
“Our team will meet again on January 5 to consider and determine our next steps,” Kerr said. “Until then we ask our members to continue to show solidarity in the workplace.”
Authorized for distribution
(60k) Poster
(22k) Q&As
A Message from your
Local President, James Cushing
Beginning on Monday April 28 your local Steward will be approaching you with the Demand Setting Survey. Your participation in completing the bargaining survey is crucial for your demands to go forward to the Bargaining team. The best way to achieve a strong contract is to demonstrate a strong showing in returning completed surveys. This will also ensure your contract preferences go forward to the bargaining table.
Your Local Steward will pick up your Demand Setting Survey by
Friday May 2, 2008.
If you have any questions please go to your steward who will endeavour to answer your questions.
On May 21, 2008, 12 – 1 PM
on M4 at 5700 Yonge St.
There will be a General Membership meeting to present the results of the survey, set local priorities and elect delegates for the upcoming regional bargaining conference in June.
Remember, this is your Contract and your priorities are important.
2008 - 2009