Update for members of OPSEU Local 447
November 21, 2008

Yesterday, November 20, your executive members of the Local met with Region 4 mobilizers, from Ottawa. Our mobilizers had requested to meet with us to announce some initiatives that OPSEU has undertaken in light of the ongoing bargaining, and to give us an update.

As most of you know, the governments opening offer consisted of mostly take aways and left a lot to be desired, in way of offers. Did we expect any thing different? We learned that the individuals representing the government at the negotiation table are the same people that negotiated during the Harris years. Our bargaining teams withdrew from the table, and only returned yesterday, after several high ranking OPSEU members applied political pressure by somehow attending a Liberal party members dinner, whereby they made a clear message that the union was none to happy with the bargaining “atmosphere” The politicians explained that they “got the message”, and a new “atmosphere” was mandated to their bargaining representatives. Therefore talks at the table resumed yesterday.

Our message to you today is to announce some initiatives that we, as a Local, would like to contribute to. The intent of these strategies is to show our bargaining team that they have membership support. Some of these ideals may seem a little mundane or minimal but they are none the less important to do. The dead line for the final offer has been set for December 23, 2008 with a ratification vote scheduled for early January, so there is not too much time to get involved. We are a small Local so our ability to do extravagant events, is limited.

Firstly, November 25 has been identified as OAD appreciation day. The OPS division of OPSEU is made up of approximately 80% OAD category. So in honor of this day, the Local will be providing a pizza lunch to all members who attend the function during lunch hour at the various work sites. The OAD members of each Ministry will be receiving a coffee mug, as a memento of our appreciation.

Secondly your shop stewards will be approaching you, and asking you to sign a trillium card. These cards will in turn be returned to the Regional office where they will be affixed to a huge wall board, this will be a symbol for the bargaining teams as to the number of members behind them, supporting them in their quest to attain a new collective agreement.

Thirdly, we have obtaining a hundred or so “picket sign” posters that have the OPSEU insignia on it. Right now they are blank, but we want that to change. Our ideal is to transform these blank cardboard signs into those protective sun shields for your vehicle. You have all seen these sun shields, they are a cardboard accordion style thing people put in their windshields to stop the sun light from penetrating the inside of your vehicle. The difference with these though is that we are hoping that you all write the slogan:

This message installed in every windshield of members vehicles at the work site, would send a powerful message to our bargaining team, in support of their activity. We could take photographs on a good sunny day, and forward that to the web site.  Also we have a large supply of button shaped stickers, that can be applied to yourselves, or your coffee mug, wherever. These stickers will then be seen within the community or your worksites. This is to highlight that negotiations are ongoing.

Fourthly, Wednesday has been picked as the day to support your bargaining team by wearing BLUE. There are blue t-shirts available from the OPSEU web page store. Any blue t-shirt or apparel will do.   

Also show the bargaining team our dedication and solidarity by wearing the different color t-shirts during the week.

Mondays are black t-shirt
Tuesdays are white
Wednesdays are Trillum (blue) t-shirts
Thursdays wear Brown
Fridays wear Red

I agree these are all small initiatives, and many of you could be asking yourselves what’s the point. But think about it as to how difficult it really is to participate, and what our objectives are. We want to demonstrate to our bargaining team that we are behind them, while they negotiate our working conditions, our pensions, our benefits, and our wages.

What they do during bargaining will affect us, one way or another.

Andy, Dave and I are available to assist any of you, with any questions or concerns.

In Solidarity
Fern Blais
President Local 447