Central Employee Relations Committee (CERC)

March 5, 2020

Have a question?

Send the CERC team an email at [email protected]

Forms

About Us

The purpose of the Central Employee Relations Committee (CERC) is to promote and facilitate consultation and communication between OPSEU and our OPS employer on issues of joint interest. We make sure that what was bargained in the collective agreement is actually happening in our workplaces. If a multi-Ministry workplace policy is unfair, we file a policy grievance.

We are your bargaining team between rounds of bargaining. When the union is not negotiating a collective agreement, the CERC is the forum for discussion and resolution of corporate labour relations matters that affect OPSEU members in more than one Ministry.

The CERC team and the chairs of each Ministry Enforcement and Renewal Committee (MERC) form a working group that meets regularly to address issues in each Ministry. These issues are addressed directly with the employer at the senior level. This senior level for the government is Management Board Secretariat.

Here’s how it works

Each Local in the Ontario Public Service should have an elected Local Enforcement and Renewal Committee (LERC) which meets with local management to resolve issues that have been brought to their attention. Minutes of LERC meetings are distributed and posted in each workplace.

Issues not resolved at the Local level may be referred to the MERC. The MERC team addresses issues that affect members in the whole Ministry. The minutes of these meetings are posted on the employer’s and union’s websites.

To have a Local issue addressed at the Ministry level, send a copy of the local minutes that outline the unresolved issue to your MERC Chair, with a completed referral form. Referral forms are attached to the minutes of each MERC meeting. For a complete listing of MERCs and how to contact them, please see http://opseu.org/content/ministry-employee-relations-committees-team-listing.

Issues not resolved at the Ministry level are referred to the Central Employee Relations Committee (CERC) for resolution. The CERC also deals with issues that affect the OPS as a whole. The CERC meets once a month. Minutes of meetings are also posted on the employer’s and union’s websites.

Your Central Employment Relations Committee

Chair – Chris Eckert
Vice-Chair – Leslie Aiston
Member – Shawn Burr

Contact the CERC: [email protected]

CERC Minutes

Note: (T & D): Training & Development