Getting Unified: Table Talk Newsletter Special Issue #13

March 20, 2025

OPS Unified Phase One Survey – Executive Summary

The Phase 1 Survey was initiated by the Area Coordinating Groups (ACG) Chairs and Vice Chairs in early 2024 and closed in December 2024. Aa full report on the findings was prepared by Chris McConnell, Ashlee Elliott, Dave Hall, Michelle Oulton, as well as others who reviewed the results: Matthew Higginson, Oren Nimelman, and Laura Thompson. The OPS Unified Bargaining Team has prepared this executive summary from the data.

The Bargaining Team wants to give special thanks to the authors and reviewers for your tremendous efforts.

The purpose behind the survey was to allow members to voice concerns and give the OPS Unified Bargaining Team data to formulate the Demand Set survey.

Results

Total number of individuals who completed the survey: 5,296

What we learned about the members who completed the survey:

Classifications

Individuals within 223 different classifications completed the survey.

Ministries

Individuals across 27 ministries completed the survey. The top three ministries were: Ministry of Attorney General, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Regional Representation

There was fairly equal representation in terms of the percentage of members who completed the survey in each region.

Update your member information on the OPSEU/SEFPO Member Portal
Join your regional Area Coordinating Group (ACG).
Review the EES Guide
Complete the EES Form and send it to [email protected]
Keep up to date:
- OPS Unified Bargaining
- Previous Table Talk Issues
- OPS Unified Instagram, and Facebook LinkTree

What we learned about members:

34.2% of members rely on supplementary income
28.3 % respondents are between the ages of 36 to 45
55.4% have dependents
60% have a commute to work that is more than 30 minutes
75% use their personal vehicle
11.8% use public transportation

The survey results were loud and clear.

Work conditions are unfavourable for members.
Staffing levels are insufficient, leading to workload issues and burnout.
There are concerns about potential retaliation affecting job security.
High levels of stress are prevalent among staff.
The classification system is ineffective.

The key concerns/issues from the survey include the following (in no particular order):

Improved health benefits
Fair wages
Overtime compensation
Poor vacancy management and understaffing impacting workload capacities
Remote work options and issues
Improved scheduling practices with increased flexibility
Develop clear and concise practices to transition precarious workers to permanent status
Eliminating the exploitation of all precarious positions
Lack of control of workload resulting in elevated work-related stress
Job security
Privatization
Outdated job classification and Job Specifications/Descriptions
Fear of retaliation, as well as bullying and harassment actions in the workplace.
Reports of issues with discrimination.
Increased engagement and participation in the bargaining process

Next Steps

The OPS Unified Bargaining team will continue to utilize these survey results to shape with the Demand Set survey. The OPS Unified Bargaining Team is working to create a new and improved Demand Set survey. The questions, and the answers provided, will give the Bargaining Team a strong mandate to negotiate with the employer.

The OPS Unified Bargaining Team will release the Demand Set survey in the coming months. Watch your emails and attend our monthly Table Talk meetings for information on the completion of the survey. This is your opportunity to show the employer that you are Unified for a better contract.

Many responses highlighted the need for further research, data and education for OPS Unified members. Read the Full report – OPS Unified Phase 1 Demand Set Priorities.

The OPS Unified Bargaining Team, as always, is open to engaging with members, please send emails to [email protected]