Metro Toronto Convention Centre

April 12, 2016

The Executive Committee was called to order at 1:00 p.m.  First Vice President/Treasurer Almeida was in the Chair.  All members were present except President Thomas; the reason was acceptable to the Chair.  Peggy Maybury, Executive Assistant to the President was also in attendance.

Agenda

The Agenda was amended to add:

• Attawapiskat First Nations
• Empire Crossing new members

The question was called on the Agenda as amended:

Roll Call #1

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Consent Agenda

Minutes of previous meeting

The OPSEU Executive Committee Minutes of February 25, 2016 were adopted.

Treasurer’s Report

President Thomas presented the Treasurer’s Report.

• Financials
• Contingency Fund
• Defence Fund
• ODSP Fund – OPS Job Protection Fund
• ODSP Fund – MERC Action Plan
• ODSP Fund – OPS Redeployment Fund
• LBED Anti-privatization Fund
• Proposed Construction – OPSEU Head Office (Mezzanine and east, first floor)

Moved by Almeida/Arbus

WHEREAS OPSEU has requested tender submissions for the proposed construction of the east mezzanine and east, first floor at Head Office; and

WHEREAS three tender submissions were received;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Executive Committee recommends to the Executive Board that the tender be awarded to TRIGRAND Restoration.

Roll Call #2

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

• Summary Report

President’s Report

Central Labour Updates (OFL/CLC/NUPGE)

Deb Tungatt provided an update.

Staffing Issues (In-Camera)

New Business

Fight for $15 & Fairness Campaign

Moved by Magner/Jones

Whereas the provincial government has established a “Changing Workplaces Review” panel to review and make recommendations on changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Ontario Labour Relations Act (OLRA); and

Whereas the Changing Workplaces Review is expected to release a series of reports between April and October 2016, prior to the Government introducing changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Ontario Labour Relations Act in fall 2016; and

Whereas OPSEU has formally endorsed the provincewide “Fight for $15 & Fairness” Campaign to build the fight for a key changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Ontario Labour Relations Act; a $15 minimum wage, and better wages, benefits, working conditions and workplace rights for all Ontario workers, whether organized or unorganized; and

Whereas OPSEU has endorsed and is mobilizing for the April 15 Provincewide Day of Action for $15 & Fairness, including a march from the OPSEU convention to a major $15 & Fairness rally at the Ministry of Labour; and

Whereas OPSEU is encouraging members to participate, support and build the Fight for $15 & Fairness Campaign and its actions across Ontario, together with our labour and community allies, as part of the fight for stronger employment and labour laws in Ontario;

Therefore be it resolved that the OPSEU will provide $10,000 in funding to support the continuing work of the Fight for $15 & Fairness Campaign, to be drawn from the Contingency Fund.

Roll Call #3

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Debbie Tungatt in the Chair

Member Appeal – Travel and Accommodation

Moved by Thibodeau/Magner

Be it resolved that the Executive Committee overturn the decision of the First Vice President Treasurer on the Region 7 member’s travel expense request.

Roll Call #4

Almeida, Eddy    defeated
Arbus, Jeff          defeated
Elliott, Len          defeated
Jones, Gareth     defeated
Labelle, Sara       defeated
Magner, Myles    defeated
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  defeated

Defeated 1 for 7 against

First Vice President/Treasurer Almeida in the Chair

Children’s Fund

Moved by Elliott/Tungatt

Be it resolved that $5000.00 be given to a member from Region 1; for travel, medical and lodging costs due to the member’s dependent child's illness to be drawn from the Children's Fund.

Roll Call #5

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Attawapiskat First Nations

Moved by Arbus/Almeida

Whereas the leaders of the Attawapiskat First Nation, an isolated Cree community in northern Ontario, Canada, have recently declared a state of emergency over a series of suicide attempts that included 11 attempts on the evening of April 9, 2016; and

Whereas this latest state of emergency is part of a “suicide pandemic” affecting Northern Indigenous communities for the past few years; and

Whereas in 2013, the Mushkegowuk Council established a People's Inquiry to explore the roots of the suicide crisis and the final report released in January 2016 pointed to the history of residential schools, the loss of language and culture, and substance abuse as factors leading to suicide; and

Whereas the Truth and Reconciliation Report Executive Summary released in June 2015 identified the legacy of the Canadian residential school system as “cultural genocide” and made 94 recommendations to redress this legacy; and

Whereas OPSEU recognizes that true reconciliation with indigenous communities requires a national strategy that uproots the systemic causes of poverty and hopelessness; and

Whereas OPSEU has supported actions for justice for Indigenous communities, and Attawapiskat in particular;

Therefore be it resolved that the Executive Committee recommend to the Executive Board that OPSEU supports the Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day`s call for a national strategy to fight the suicide epidemic affecting First Nations communities; and

Be it further resolved that OPSEU, in conjunction with the OPSEU Aboriginal Circle, partner with Northern Indigenous communities to address poverty, inequality, and other systemic causes of hopelessness that fuel the latest suicide epidemic and to monitor the federal government`s implementation of the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Report.

Roll Call #6

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Empire Crossing new members

Moved by Labelle/Arbus

Whereas OPSEU has organized a new unit in Port Hope – Empire Crossings Retirement Home; and,

Whereas the new unit is comprised of 26 new members, which enjoy a community of interest with an existing Local

Therefore be it resolved that the Executive Committee recommend to the Executive Board that these members join the existing Local 336.

Roll Call #7

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  for
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Moved by Almeida/Arbus– In Camera

Roll Call #8

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Rise & Report

President’s Report

Internal Issues

Solidarity Reserve Fund Requests

Request #2016-04-01

Moved by Almeida/Jones

Therefore be it resolved that the Solidarity Reserve Fund provide up to $5000 to pay for actual legal costs incurred by the member in the course of his criminal defence, as approved by OPSEU counsel.

Roll Call #9

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       against
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 7 for 1 against

Request #2016-04-02

Moved by Almeida/Arbus

Therefore be it resolved that the request is denied as outside and the scope of the Solidarity Reserve Fund Policy.

Roll Call #10

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          against
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  against

Carried 6 for 2 against

Request #2016-04-03

Moved by Elliott/Almeida

Therefore be it resolved that the Solidarity Reserve Fund provide up to $5,000.00 to pay for actual legal costs incurred by the member in the course of her criminal defence, provided that her criminal counsel continues to charge reasonable rates, as approved by OPSEU counsel.

Roll Call #11

Almeida, Eddy    for
Arbus, Jeff          for
Elliott, Len          for
Jones, Gareth     for
Labelle, Sara       for
Magner, Myles    for
Thibodeau, Carl  for
Thomas, Warren  —
Tungatt, Debbie  for

Carried 8 for 0 against

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:52 p.m.  All members were present except President Thomas.

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President

Nicole Glass, A/Corporate Secretary