Local 499

Welcome

This Interim version of the collective agreement reflects the agreed implementation of the ratified settlement. The actual Date of Ratification remains in dispute, pending final resolution.In the meantime, this version is provided for reference in the workplace. Download the CA

OPSEU Annual Convention 2011

The OPSEU Annual Convention will be convened on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. in the Constitution Hall of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre until adjournment on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.
Local 499 will be sending 5 representatives this year, those members will be participating in debates and voting on everything from our union President to the up coming fiscal budget.

NEWS FEEDS

Dalton McGuinty wants you to work for less
Starting this year, the Premier of Ontario is asking one million provincial public workers to accept a two-year wage freeze. He says the freeze will protect services and save jobs. He says it will help pay down the deficit. He says provincial workers have had pay raises for too long.

Nov 19th, 2010 - Workers bear burden of provincial ‘restraint’

Sept 29th, 2010 - OPSEU Local 499 says “NO” to Mark Taylor

Sept 15th, 2010 - Rock for Public Services

Sept 7th, 2010 -Candidates walk in Labour Day parade ( http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/624935--candidates-walk-in-labour-day-parade )

August 13th, 2010 - Regional Educational to be held on Oct. 23, 24, 2010 Download the Application

August 9th, 2010 - Kingston prison farm protesters form blockade

August 8th, 2010 - A Canada Border Services Agency officer who had to give up her full-time position after the birth of her first child has won a six-year battle with her employer over its failure to accommodate her

July 2010 : Collective Agreement Update:

As was said to the Delegates at our Convention caucus: “it is amazing and frustrating that the process of editing and finalizing the contract has taken longer than it took to bargain it in the first place!”.

We did not receive a full draft from the Employer until mid-January of this year. The Edit Committee immediately discovered numerous problems, from minor typographical errors, to salary grid anomalies, to changes that had not even been originally negotiated. Through a series of face-to-face meetings we have finally been able to resolve these with the Employer.

At our last meeting on June 14th the problems with the draft collective agreement appeared resolved. The Employer is now doing a re-formatting to fix some pagination and paragraph problems.

Remaining at issue is the final Date of Ratification. The Union ratified the tentative settlement on July 14, 2009. The Employer ratified on July 17, 2009. However, the Employer also maintains that the negotiated changes do not come into effect until approval is received via an Order-in-Council (OIC) from the Government. The Union completely disagrees with that position, especially since the OIC was not issued until August 28, 2009....a delay of over six weeks! Numerous grievances have now been filed by individual members who have been disadvantaged by the delay.

The Union is challenging the Employer’s position in this matter.

In the meantime, we have agreed to prepare and distribute an Interim copy of the collective agreement for reference in the workplace. Other than the Date of Ratification, the Interim copy will reflect the agreement of the Union and the Employer on the content.

Interim copies will be so marked, in letter-sized (8 ½” x 11’) format. One copy will be sent to each Store / Department, to each Manager and to each OPSEU Steward. A date for this distribution has not yet been agreed. Locals may wish to duplicate the Interim copies for their members.

Once the Date of Ratification issue has been resolved, the contract will be printed in the usual pocket-sized format and distributed to all employees internally.

Edit Committee: Vanda Klumper, Denise Davis, Dora Robinson, Rob Field, Joyce Hansen