As conservation officers, you are the front-line protectors of Ontario’s natural resources, and OPSEU/SEFPO knows that you have been significantly underpaid for years. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has consistently rejected all special cases and formal requests from OPSEU/SEFPO for reclassification and compensation in line with comparable positions in the Ontario Public Service and law enforcement.
In 2021, OPSEU/SEFPO sent a letter to Minister Yakabuski asking him to direct his managers in the MNRF to approve our request for reclassification and higher pay. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) has also publicly appealed to the minister to hire more conservation officers and pay them appropriately. And your MERC team has been supporting your reclassification and special cases at the MERC table.
Now your MPPs need to hear directly from you.
You don’t have to be a professional lobbyist to lobby your MPP. You just need to share your point of view with them as a conservation officer with boots on the ground – and it’s their job to listen to you as their constituent.
OPSEU/SEFPO has created a lobbying kit with the help of several conservation officer members and OCOA leaders to help conservation officers share your concerns with your MPPs. Download these resources and get in touch with your MPP today!
Who’s my MPP?
Not sure what riding you’re in, or who your MPP is? No problem! You can find out from the Ontario Legislature website by entering your postal code.
Click here and scroll down to “Find my MPP” by postal code.
How to lobby your MPP
This is a one-page to-do list on how to plan a meeting with your MPP, what to say at the meeting, and what to do after the meeting.
Click here to download “How to lobby your MPP” as a PDF.
Click here for the web version.
Conservation officer talking points for MPP visits
This worksheet has a summary of talking points, plus space for you to prepare your own notes ahead of your meeting with your MPP. It’s your cheat sheet for the meeting!
Click here to download “Conservation officer talking points for MPP visits” as a PDF.
Click here for the web version.
Conservation officers need fair pay now – Leave-behind flyer
This is a PDF brochure that you can share with your MPP during or after the meeting. It summarizes OPSEU/SEFPO’s position on the issue in an easy-to-read format.
Click here to download PDF “Conservation officers need fair pay now” flyer.
Click here for the web version.
Local Time-Off Fund application form
Your MPP may schedule a meeting at a time when you are scheduled to work. If you need to take time off to attend the meeting, check with your local and see if they will support a local time-off fund application.
Click here to download “Local Time-Off Fund Application for Reimbursement Form”.