Central negotiations for our first Central Agreement will progress throughout the fall and winter months of the 2014-2015 school year.
Over the summer, OPSEU joined the Ontario Council Of Education Workers (OCEW) which includes five unions: Educational Resource Facilitators of Peel, Maintenance and Construction Skilled Trades Council, LIUNA Local 837, Essex and Kent Counties Skilled Trades Council and COPE Ontario.
OCEW elections took place in early September of 2014. The elected representatives are as follows: Chair- Hilary Campbell from Educational Resource Facilitators of Peel, Treasurer- Mike Morgan from Maintenance and Construction Skilled Trades Council and Secretary- Kathy Whipple from OPSEU.
Two conference calls took place in September and October 2014, during which logistics and demands of the OCEW were discussed.
On October 9, the OCEW met with the Ministry of Education to discuss and negotiate the ground rules for this round of central table bargaining. These were signed off by both parties by day's end. The next meeting between the Ministry of Education and OCEW has been scheduled for mid November.
Plans are under way to hold a one-day information meeting for all Local presidents in Sector 3 to further update the central and local process and discuss strategy moving forward.
The Executive of Sector 3 Boards of Education and Cultural Institutions, together with OPSEU staff, are working closely with the OCEW delegates representing OPSEU, to ensure that communications are being passed to Local Presidents and on to the members.
In solidarity,
Kathy Whipple
Sector 3
Boards of Education and Cultural Institutions
Chair