VICE PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE

Friends,  We’re living through a time where it’s hard to say what the next week, month, or year will look like. This year has forced us to get comfortable living with uncertainty.  I’ve been spending almost all of my time recently planning OPSEU/SEFPO’s budget for the upcoming year, and the biggest challenge is anticipating, what……

Friends, We have never celebrated a Labour Day like this one before – everything has changed for front-line workers like us.   Like nothing I’ve ever seen, COVID-19 has focused the world’s attention on the vital importance of the work we do. If we stand strong together in this moment, we can make substantial gains……

Friends, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself when I saw our record high membership numbers last month and thought of those naysayers and elitists from the right and big business who have been saying for decades that the labour movement is declining and one day unions will be a thing of the past.   ……

Friends,  We are living in unsettled and uncertain times. The pandemic. The threat of austerity and cutbacks. Urgent new calls to finally confront systemic racism.  But let me tell you: OPSEU is facing all of these challenges head-on. And as it’s done so many times over its long history, OPSEU and its members will deliver.  Honestly,……

Friends, A lot of you know me as OPSEU’s First Vice-President/Treasurer, and I spend a lot of time and energy making sure your dues are working as hard for you as possible. It’s important work, and I’m happy to do it. But don’t think for a second that OPSEU is just a bunch of numbers……

As hopefully we are starting to come out the COVID-19 crisis, we should pause to think about what is getting us through this now, and how we can use it to solve other challenges in the future. Determination, kindness, understanding, and humility come to mind when I think of the past two months. Sure, there……

In the face of COVID-19, we are strong. We are OPSEU strong. And we are Ontario strong.  We have a simple message to each and every worker who continues to do critical work – in both the public and private sector – thank you. Thank you for every sacrifice you’re making and every risk you’re……

COVID-19 has everyone understandably on edge. But we are in a good place – for now. A robust healthcare system – with around-the-clock monitoring and world-class medical professionals – is the answer to protecting the public and coming up with even better protocols and solutions if there is a similar threat in the future. At……

My last blog struck a positive chord with the majority of you who wrote in and I’m glad it did because that is why I wrote it. I come from a large family and sometimes I had to speak in plain and blunt terms to get everyone’s attention. The same is true of the other……

We’ve been through a year and a half of Premier Doug Ford’s government and I don’t think you need me to tell you we are in for a tough fight ahead. Scary as many of the Conservatives’ actions are, I think there is a lot more bad news ahead.  I’ll get to that in a……

It’s been quite a year as things slow down for the holiday season, it’s a good time to be thankful for what we have and also thank those who we work with at OPSEU. Yes there has been bad news. Together we face a government whose policies pose a significant threat to how we do……

At heart, I think of myself as a cautious optimist. I like to hope to be the best, but I always prepare for the worst. Sadly, most OPSEU members are now facing prospects close to the worst: another three years of falling further behind. Mr. Ford’s government just passed a law that will leave most……

There’s a buzz around OPSEU head office these days and we couldn’t bee more pleased. This summer, we partnered with the GTA’s Bee Company to install 10 hives on the roof of our Toronto head office. It’s early days, but so far things are looking good. The population of these hives has now swelled to……

The federal election campaign has officially kicked-off and as the rhetoric ramps up, Ontarians have a minefield of messages to navigate. It’s easy to buy into the selfish individualism of “getting ahead.” More money in your pocket might mean you can buy more “stuff” but definitely not a higher quality of life. Politicians promising a……

Despite all the bad news we’re bombarded with on a daily basis, this is the best time to be alive. We’re living longer, healthier lives, we’re more educated and we’ve made groundbreaking achievements in science and technology like never before. Our future is bright, but it must start with a fundamental respect for working people……