PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Out of adversity comes opportunity. It’s a lesson we’ve learned throughout our history, and it’s a mantra with new meaning in these challenging COVID times. Challenging times push us to think bigger and do better – adversity forces us to grow. The lesson: that times of stress are our signals for growth; that when we...

Hospitals have always stood as pillars of our public health care system, but this pandemic reminds me of that line from the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi: “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” We may not always love going to the hospital, but we do love public health care, and our...

With freedom comes responsibility. The simple saying has taken on a whole new meaning during the COVID-19 crisis, as public health officials continue to stress the importance of getting vaccinated. You’ve likely heard some folks talking about freedom – many of them on American television, but with plenty here in Canada too. There’s always one thing...

Educate. Agitate. Organize. It was the mantra of the labour movement during the days when I cut my union teeth on direct action, wrapped mostly in creating chaos and confrontation. I was young, eager and more than a little belligerent. In other words, an activist for the times. And what a time it was. Pre-dating...

I remember it like it was yesterday – Ontario’s public sector workers standing strong to proclaim those four famous words: no justice, no peace. It’s simple and it still holds true today. This year marks 25 years since 55,000 OPSEU/SEFPO members working in the Ontario Public Sector (OPS) walked off the job and onto the...

Friends, As we head into the Family Day weekend, please spare a thought for all of our friends, neighbours and their families who have lost so much during this pandemic. More than 6,000 families are grieving the loss of loved ones. Sadly, that includes the family of Connie Cerdan, an OPSEU/SEFPO Local 597 member who...

Saying our hospitals are “on the brink of collapse,” the Premier has declared the second state of emergency in less than a year. Our province is in crisis. But we can’t make the mistake of thinking this is just a health crisis. Or that the crisis will be solved once we’re all vaccinated. Neither is...

Friends, As we approach the end of an extremely challenging year, we want to say thank you to all of our hardworking members for your courageous dedication to the people of Ontario. Many of you took, and continue to take, huge risks serving on the front lines of this pandemic. You deserve all the respect...

Every week, I watch the death toll climb in long-term care. And every week, I watch in disbelief as our politicians act like all these tragedies are some kind of mystery. There’s nothing mysterious about it. But there is something very wrong: the willingness of some to put profits before people. As far as I’m...

Friends,   Did you watch the U.S. Presidential debate earlier this week?   I watched it. But I wish I hadn’t.   While the world grapples with the biggest public health crisis we’ve faced in a century, the millions of us who tuned in had to endure one of the saddest displays of “leadership” I have ever seen.  ...

Labour Day 2020 certainly looks different than any I’ve seen in my 30 plus years with OPSEU. Usually, we’d gather in-person to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of Ontario’s workers. This year, we’re showing our solidarity from a distance.    For many Ontarians, Labour Day 2020 comes with a newfound, deep level of gratitude for...

First of all, I’m hoping all of you in our OPSEU family are able to take some well-deserved time off to relax and enjoy the long days and warm temperatures with your family and friends.   This may be the eye of the storm in what has been an unprecedented year so far, unlike anything...

Millions of Black people around the world, face discrimination because of their colour of their skin. We often celebrate Canada as a multicultural country. But that doesn’t mean that racial discrimination doesn’t live here. That doesn’t mean that systemic racism isn’t in every workplace, and in every sector.  That doesn’t mean that Black people in...

Friends, I’ve always said that polls are like elevators – sometimes they go up, and sometimes they go down. But the results of a poll that OPSEU commissioned last month are unlike any that I’ve ever seen in my 40 years as a union activist. Our poll, and others out there right now, are telling...

Imagine life after the pandemic. We realize how impossible that might seem. Right now, most of us are just focused on the day-by-day, hour-by-hour, even minute-by-minute.   How can I make sure I have the protective equipment I need for tomorrow’s shift? What can I do to keep my kid busy during the next Zoom...