Did you use your opportunity to tell management what you really think?
With the employer’s annual employee survey now completed, we are still waiting to see how they spin the results in an attempt to hide workers’ concerns about management actions.
Going into the survey, we encouraged members to participate, and to be honest about their concerns.
We hear the response rate is up from last year, and now we’re just waiting to hear what the results are.
Who was really calling the shots at the table?
Get to know your board members – Dan Mathieson
While management representatives sat opposite our bargaining team at the table this spring, it was immediately clear that they had no real authority to make decisions. That job lay with someone many members may not know very well – Dan Mathieson, MPAC board chairman and mayor of the town of Stratford.
If it seems strange that the person making decisions didn’t even have a seat at the table, that’s because it is! It’s hard to believe that MPAC was taking our concerns seriously if the person able to take action to address them didn’t bother to hear our concerns.
We don’t know whether this kind of board interference means that the board has as many concerns about senior management as we do. What we do know is that it raises serious questions about whether those who were making decisions around bargaining even understood our members’ work.
Collective agreement print copies coming soon
Your OPSEU bargaining team would like to thank members once again for their unwavering support during the most recent round of negotiations. While the final deal didn’t have everything we wanted, it was far better than we would have achieved without that support.
Since the ratification of the tentative agreement by members in late June, the bargaining team has been reviewing the revised collective agreement carefully for any errors or omissions. We’ve completed this process, and made the final changes.
On October 19, the parties signed the revised agreement. It has now been sent to head office for final vetting and for President Thomas to sign. Once signed, copies will be printed and distributed to each office.
Blowing the whistle on management’s attacks on morale
As you’re no doubt aware, management has introduced a new whistle-blowing policy, and is encouraging members of the public to call in with their complaints and concerns about workers. As we’ve seen across the public sector, far too often these types of policies end up being used by disgruntled members of the public to target the frontline workers who are the most visible to the public.
We hope this won’t be the case here, and we have been clear with management that we will be vigilant in defending any of our members who are targeted as a result of their work.
This policy does, however, come with a silver lining. There is a long history of conflicts of interest and questionable practices on the part of senior management, and with the whistle-blowing policy, workers now have a tool to draw attention to these cases while remaining anonymous.
We encourage members to use this policy to report cases where management and senior executives may be violating their own code of conduct. Let’s shine a bright light on their backroom dealings.
Has your local paid its sector dues?
MPAC sector dues are outstanding from several locals. As laid out in the MPAC sector by-laws, each local needs to submit $1 per member. Cheques should be made payable to OPSEU Sector 16. Local treasurers should forward their payments to Tom Chisholm, 16 Selley St., Petawawa, ON, K8H 3H2. Any questions on this can be directed to [email protected].
Stopping bullying and harassment at work
From the Chair
No one should be expected to put up with harassment or bullying when they come to work. Not only is this covered in the Ontario Human Rights Code, it is also a commitment that is laid out in Article 5 of our collective agreement, which states that:
5.02 Every employee has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment and a right to freedom from harassment in the workplace by the Employer, the Union or by another employee because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability.
This right is laid out in the collective agreement, and is also included in provincial laws, such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Bill 132, which was passed recently by the provincial government, made changes to a number of these laws, including the OHSA, which took effect September 8, 2016. They include an updated definition of workplace harassment that includes sexual harassment, new obligations for employers around harassment, and specific powers around workplace harassment for Ministry of Labour inspectors.
These changes increase the responsibility on employers to address concerns, and also bring more transparency to the entire process, including ensuring that those who come forward about harassment receive a copy of the report from the investigation. Full details on these changes, and how they affect members, are included in a QandA document recently published on the OPSEU website.
Harassment and bullying are serious matters. If you’re experiencing harassment, or you know someone who is, please bring it to the attention of your union steward. You have the right to be accompanied by your steward throughout the process. Under the law, the employer has a responsibility to enforce the policy as laid out in their code of conduct, and, if appropriate action isn’t taken, we also have the ability to file a grievance as laid out in Article 11.
In solidarity,
David Lynch
OPSEU Co-Chair, Union-Management Committee
Know someone who’d be a great voice for our members?
The next BPS conference will be held from June 23-25, 2017. At this conference, MPAC members will be electing two members to our sector executive, as well as electing the pay equity maintenance committee.
If you know a member who may be interested in standing for election, or if you’re interested yourself, you should keep these two opportunities in mind. Members who are thinking of standing for election are also encouraged to take advantage of regional educational sessions to prepare for these opportunities.
Join MPAC and see the world?
While management kept talking about money being tight throughout bargaining, it seems like the vacation budget has no limits. Don’t forget to pack your valuation policy manual and sunscreen if you’re attending the conference in St. Lucia, like Paul Campbell, Brian Guerin and John Watling!
Stay in touch!
To ensure a speedy response to your questions, your leadership team has divided up all MPAC offices in the province. If you have a question or a comment, please contact the team member responsible for your office. Contact us by e-mail at work or at home, as follows:
Peter McClenaghan – Goderich, Chatham, Sarnia, Windsor, and Kitchener [email protected]
Paul Leslie – Pickering, Richmond Hill, Peterborough, and Milner [email protected]
Tom Chisholm – North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Frances, Dryden, and Pembroke [email protected]
Mark Hotte – Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, Trenton, and Ottawa [email protected]
David Lynch – Bracebridge, Owen Sound, Barrie, London, Hamilton, Mississauga, and Toronto [email protected]