E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Peterborough
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Peterborough
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Peter McClenaghan, Vice Chair: St. Catharines, Goderich, Chatham, Sarnia, Windsor, Kitchener and Brantford
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Peterborough
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Peter McClenaghan, Vice Chair: St. Catharines, Goderich, Chatham, Sarnia, Windsor, Kitchener and Brantford
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Peterborough
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president
Impact: News for OPSEU members at MPAC from your leadership team
Volume 13, Issue 3 – December 12, 2013
Say 'Cheese'
In September, members were told that valuation staff were to no longer take pictures of properties in the field, because the use of digital imagery has made the existing cameras in the field offices redundant.
However, a few weeks later, an e-mail from Head Office went out to all staff informing them that they are encouraged to take photos of each other in the office using brand-new camera equipment. Staff were notified that "each office is now equipped with a SONY Cyber-shot camera (can take still shots and video), 32 GB memory card, rechargeable batteries and a tripod."
If we have this correct, management doesn't want pictures taken for core business purposes any longer, but purchases new cameras (instead of using existing ones) for all offices to snap feel-good shots of each other.
Maybe they feel this total waste of money was cheaper than getting a WSIB claim from a staff member who had to stick their face in a photocopier.
Of course you can work from home…except…
Staff at MPAC are being given four hours per week to work on their accreditation courses, but there seems to be some confusion on where they can do it.
Despite the fact that staff can work from home under "alternate arrangements," some local managers are denying staff the ability to work from home to do the four hours of course work.
This is, of course, for accreditation that MPAC wants. For accreditation that isn't legislatively required.
If you have been denied the ability to do these four hours of work from home, please contact a UMC member and let us know. We will be more than happy to make a call to the employer and have a chat about work/life balance.
UMC members step down from Victory Statement projects
At the beginning of the recent round of 100-day pilot projects initiated by the employer, several members of the UMC were invited by management to join both the accreditation project and succession planning project. The union agreed on the basis that it would be a way by which the UMC could obtain details about how the corporation was going to proceed with these initiatives. Here is what we said in September:
"The union wouldn't want it's involvement to be misinterpreted as agreement to the committee's recommendations. Furthermore, the union does not agree with the committee's proposals at this time, nor are we inclined to alter or negotiate outside the terms of the current Collective Agreement. After consultation with our OPSEU Negotiator, it was decided that the union would step back and have our executive members resign from both committees.
"There are several issues that will need to be bargained and these committees are not the proper forum for that. Ultimately, this is a bargaining issue and your Union will negotiate accreditation provisions that will protect our members upon the expiry of the current Collective Agreement (Dec. 31, 2015)."
What we learned from these projects is that they are driven from the top down, and the notion that they are "grassroots initiatives" is little more than an illusion.
Foreshadowing? Or just an "honest" mistake?
Office location maps posted by MPAC management were notable by the fact that certain office locations were no longer listed. This was immediately brought to management's attention at which point the images were taken down and an assurance was given by management that there are no plans to close any offices.
In any event, we'll keep an eye out for either bulldozers or "For Sale" signs in the near future.
Kudos Korner
When is a survey not a survey?
Congrats go out to MPAC's current techno aficionado, Antoni Wisniowski, for completely ignoring the collective agreement because he got so excited about the latest gadget for "polling" during the year-end meetings.
It seems that everyone got so jumpy about using the instant polling at these meetings they kind of forgot to send this survey to the UMC 60 days prior for approval, just as the contract specifies. The UMC did finally get it for approval…less than three working days before the first meeting started.
When the UMC decided to defer their approval, Wisniowski went ahead anyway, and tried to defend it by saying that a "poll" was not the same as a "survey" (despite the fact they sent it…late…to the UMC for approval).
Maybe Wisniowski should add another little gizmo to his holiday wish list: an electronic dictionary. We may even forgive him if he unwraps it a little early.
Join MPAC and see the world, Parts 2 and 3
It is becoming more and more apparent that the employer will not let the opportunity to blow its own horn get in the way of its stated goal of $20 million in savings by 2016.
Director of Information Technology Chris Devadson travelled to India to receive an award on behalf of MPAC.
And, in mid-October, Larry Hummel and Steven Wang took a trip to China on MPAC's behalf. As per the intranet, the reason for the trip was to give a presentation to the China Appraisal Society's "Valuation, Growth and Exploration" forum.
We are sure, at some point, someone will have to explain to an auditor how these overseas junkets are improving property evaluation in Ontario. Perhaps management should hire Chris Mazza, the ex-CEO of ORNGE Air Ambulance, to get some tips on how to testify.
Management plants
Rumour has it that management has put plants in certain offices. Fortunately, they may be easy to identify because they are green…and leafy.
Yes, MPAC, the stellar example of fiscal responsibility, is banning staff from bringing their own plants into the office because they have a "corporate plant supplier."
Where do these plants come from? Is it something sinister? Do we need to be suspicious? Only time will tell.
If the plant never dies, or has the word "Sony" printed anywhere on the label, you may want to give it a wide berth.
Tips on working from home
If you plan on working from home, we have a document with useful tips including Canada Revenue information, health and safety and ergonomics. Go to our "mpac_workfromhometips.pdf" document for this information.
Best wishes for the holidays
The members of your UMC wish all of you and your families a safe and healthy holiday season.
Best wishes, and we look forward to a productive 2014!
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:
David Lynch, Chair : Bracebridge, London, Mississauga, Ottawa, Barrie, Brockville, Cornwall, Pembroke, Trenton, Bancroft and Kingston
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Peter McClenaghan, Vice Chair: St. Catharines, Goderich, Chatham, Sarnia, Windsor, Kitchener and Brantford
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Everett Kelly: Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto and Peterborough
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
David Fong: North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Francis and Dryden
E-mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Steve Kovacs: Milner (CCC, CPF, LPU), Owen Sound, Hamilton and Parry Sound
E-Mail: : [email protected] ; ; [email protected]
Mirla Alvarado-Fenn, OPSEU Staff Negotiator
E-mail: [email protected]
OPSEU ImpacT is produced by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president