On June 18, 2024, OPSEU/SEFPO served notice to the employer to end all previous Essential and Emergency Service Agreements (EESA) and provided notice that we intend to bargain the new EESAs.
As per the last Divisional meeting, OPS Unified members elected to change the Bargaining Procedures, which mandated that the EESA would be negotiated before issues bargaining.
In the first week of July, your OPS Unified Bargaining Team met as a group for training on the relevant legislation, including the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act (CECBA) and to prepare for EESA negotiations. These activities were thanks to the OPSEU/SEFPO Education Department, and guidance from our experienced staff members.
The last time OPS Unified completed this activity was over 20 years ago. Your elected Bargaining team is committed to doing the hard work to get a strong Collective Agreement.
By July 12, your Local Executive Committees and MERCs will receive the EESA form for completion, which includes a Guide to the EESA. These forms will provide the necessary information for the Bargaining Team to negotiate with the employer and to determine which services would be considered Emergency and Essential in the event of labour disruption. Your input is critical so please be sure to fill them out.
What can you do to get ready?
Make sure that your contact information is up to date with OPSEU/SEFPO through the Member Portal, as well as your Local. This will ensure that you are up to date with our communications and have your voice heard.
To close the first week off, the Bargaining Team stood in solidarity with LBED and marched with them at the Yonge and Wellesley LCBO store on their first day of the historic strike.
The team is committed to providing communications to you, the OPS Unified members, regularly.
Connection points:
Watch our OPS Unified Bargaining Team site for future updates on the Bargaining team.
Remember to join your Region’s Area Coordinating Group (ACG) signal chat to stay connected within your region.
Email: unifiedopsbargaining@opseu.org
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team:
Amanda Usher – Bargaining Chair (CERC Chair)
Leslie Aiston – Bargaining Vice Chair Administrative (ADM) category
Teresa Stevens – Office Administration (OAD) category
Farhad Rahaman – Office Administration (OAD) category
Paula Lavigne – Administrative category (ADM) category
Holly Sullivan – Institutional Health Care (IHC) category
Chris Eckert – Technical/Operations/maintenance (TOM) category
Loretta Clark – Region 1 representative
Michele Morrison – Region 2 representative
Grace Grieve – Region 3 representative
Daryl O’Grady – Region 4 representative
Ram Selvarajah – Region 5 representative
Jamie Tynan-Byrd-Owen – Region 6 representative
Mark Belanger – Region 7 representative