WHEREAS the Wynne Liberal government of Ontario has made the sale of publicly-owned assets like Hydro One, and the increased privatization of alcohol sales a centerpiece of a broad privatization scheme that also encompasses escalating privatization in health care, community social services, and all OPSEU sectors through various service restructuring schemes; and

WHEREAS the privatization of public assets and public services has consistently failed to provide high-quality public services and undermines our common wealth and the role of public services in enhancing the common good; and

WHEREAS OPSEU’s long-standing policies and efforts to fight privatization are now more important than ever to protect our common wealth and public services against the Wynne Liberal privatization agenda;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OPSEU put its full resources and focus into fighting the privatization of Ontario’s public assets, services and jobs, with resources to be determined by the Executive Board from existing funds.

WHEREAS 120 members of the United Steelworkers of America Local 9176 were forced on strike at Crown Holdings in Toronto in September 2013 when they rejected the employer’s demand for a 2-tier contract and a 42 percent wage cut for all new hires, and

WHEREAS these workers continue to walk the picket lines in the face of Crown’s use of scab labour and its union-busting demands for a 30 per cent across-the-board wage cut, and that after the strike scabs will be hired permanently, while most striking workers will lose their jobs, and

WHEREAS in response to demands from the labour movement, Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn ordered an industrial inquiry into the strike in March 2015, which has so far failed to produce a settlement to the strike, and

WHEREAS the Canadian Labour Congress has endorsed the “Bottles Not Cans” campaign (www.bottlesnotcans.ca) and called for a national boycott of beer sold in cans manufactured by Crown Holdings,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OPSEU reaffirms its continuing support for the members of USW Local 9176 and their strike for a fair contract at Crown Holdings, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OPSEU endorses the “Bottles Not Cans” campaign and the boycott of beer and other beverages sold in cans manufactured by Crown Holdings, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OPSEU will join our labour allies in demanding that Labour Minister Kevin Flynn intervene to ensure Crown Holdings returns to the bargaining table and negotiates a fair contract, including ordering binding arbitration if necessary, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OPSEU will communicate our support for the “Bottles Not Cans” campaign and the national boycott of beer and other products sold in cans made by Crown Holdings to the USW, NUPGE and the CLC, and to all OPSEU locals, area councils and committees, along with information on campaign and the brands and products sold in Crown cans that should be boycotted.

WHEREAS the divestment of Ontario’s Central Public Health Labs to Public Health Ontario in 2008 changed the composition of OPSEU Local 545 from an OPS-only composite local to a composite local with one large BPS unit representing members at Public Health Ontario and two small OPS units, including a 5-member unit located at 20 Vanley Crescent, and

WHEREAS the members at Vanley Crescent held a unit meeting and voted unanimously to transfer the unit to Local 542, an OPS composite local located at the nearby Downsview complex, and

WHEREAS the members of local 545 have voted at a General Membership Meeting in favour of transferring the Vanley Crescent unit to Local 542, and

WHEREAS the members of Local 542 have voted at a General Membership Meeting to accept the transfer of the Vanley Crescent unit into Local 542, and

WHEREAS the Executive Committee has recommended that the Executive Board approve the transfer of the Vanley Crescent unit and its members from Local 545 to Local 542, in accordance with OPSEU policy,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Executive Board approve the transfer of the Vanley Crescent unit and its members be transferred from Local 545 to Local 542, effective May 15, 2015, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the President send a letter to the members of the Vanley Crescent unit and the Officers of Locals 542 and 545 confirming the Board’s decision.

Therefore be it resolved That the Executive Board approve that the charter of Local 167 be dissolved, any funds remaining in the account be returned to OPSEU and the account be closed.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OPSEU send a letter to congratulate the NDP on their success.

WHEREAS team members who focus their efforts learning to connect with each other in a positive manner will guarantee their success in the future. 

WHEREAS it is interesting and helpful to get a professional verification of your strengths and management styles, and to use this information on a regular basis to provide better, more effective coaching.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT each willing Executive Board Member participate in a remote coaching process that includes a pre-course phone meeting, an online behavioural assessment, and a 60 minute phone/online coaching session with Dave Neely; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT A follow up summary and debrief will include recommendations for the team in a half day added to June 2015 meeting Dave Neely will share what he has learned about how to maximize our effectiveness as a team; and, 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Wayne Samuelson, be asked to facilitate 1/2 day afternoon added to June meeting to utilize these Strengths to review and plan OPSEU Strategic direction.

WHEREAS the OPS Employer proposed in 2013 that it would take steps to obtain approval and, if approved, to make legislative changes in order to expand the Correctional Bargaining Unit in one  or both of two ways: 

1. by transferring members of the Unified Bargaining Unit who work at correctional worksites into the Correctional Bargaining Unit; and/or
2. by removing the Correctional Bargaining Unit from the scope of the OPS Central Collective Agreement, and creating a stand-alone Central Collective Agreement for the Correctional Bargaining Unit.

WHEREAS the President established a project committee of MERC and CERC members in 2013 in order to explore the proposals with the Employer, and those discussions concluded when the Employer confirmed in 2014 that a corrections only collective agreement would require legislative change, which the committee and the Executive Board did not support.

WHEREAS members of the Correctional Division submitted resolutions to Convention 2014 to accept the proposals as an objective or policy for OPSEU, which resolutions were not passed.

WHEREAS the proposals are of significant interest to some members of the Correctional Division, as shown by communications within the Division and petitions submitted by locals. 

WHEREAS the MCSCS MERC in 2015 advised the President that the second proposal in particular is a priority for the Correctional Division, and requested support from the President to set a process for OPSEU to move forward to reconsider the proposals.

WHEREAS the President referred the issues raised by the proposals to the Executive Board in order to further discuss issues of process and consultation with the OPS membership.

WHEREAS the President also determined that the level of support or opposition to the proposals and to the process for further consultation were mixed as between the MCSCS MERC, the MCYS MERC, the Correctional Bargaining Team, and the Central/Unified Bargaining Team.

WHEREAS it is evident that the OPS membership is divided by the proposals to expand the Correctional Bargaining Unit, and that such divisions undermine solidarity and power within collective bargaining and within OPSEU.

WHEREAS the proposals, whether pursued or not, carry significant unknowns, and potential risks and benefits for the future, all of which will directly impact the OPSEU membership of both the Correctional Division and the Unified Division.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OPSEU will implement a process for full and informed consultation with the OPS membership concerning the two proposals to expand the Correctional Bargaining Unit, which are:

1. to transfer members of the Unified Bargaining Unit who work at correctional worksites into the Correctional Bargaining Unit; and/or
2. to remove the Correctional Bargaining Unit from the scope of the OPS Central Collective Agreement and create a stand-alone Collective Agreement for the Correctional Bargaining Unit. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the consultation process concerning the proposals will include:

• Formation of an ad hoc committee of the Executive Board to oversee the process on behalf of  the Executive Board as a whole, with regular consultation throughout with the MCSCS MERC, MCYS MERC, CERC, and with the OPS bargaining teams while the teams are in place.
• Development of education plans, question and answer summaries, or other means to inform the membership and encourage discussion of the proposals.
• A secret-ballot vote or votes of the affected members in order to assess the support, concerns or issues raised by the proposals. 
• Disclosure of vote results to the MCSCS MERC, MCYS MERC and CERC, at minimum.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Executive Board 2015-2017 will discuss the proposals and the issues raised at the time that the ad hoc Board committee is formed, at the conclusion of the consultation process, and at any other time the Board may decide.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT in the interests of clear communications with affected members and among the members of the Executive Board, it is confirmed that:

• The Executive Board has not taken a position on the proposals at present, and the decision of Convention 2014, which was to not adopt either proposal, remains in force. 
• The consultation process and the vote results are not binding on the Executive Board 2015-2017, which retains the authority and responsibility to set OPSEU policy between Conventions.
• The consultation process and the vote results, or decisions of the Executive Board, are not binding on Convention, as the governing body of OPSEU.