OPSEU Local 511 at Surrey Place Centre reached a tentative agreement with their employer on Friday, May 4. The bargaining team is recommending acceptance of the Memorandum of Settlement when the ratification vote occurs on Monday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at 790 Bay St. in Toronto.
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas commended the team on the agreement.
“Positive labour relations are an important asset to all of us in these economic times,” Thomas said. “What we have here is excellent groundwork for moving forward.”
After three full days across the table from the employer, the parties reached what is considered to be a fair contract that addressed many of the items brought forward to negotiations. “Both sides were open to resolve issues that both met the needs, and protected the rights of the members,” said Beth Collier, Local 511 Bargaining Team Chair.
Members of Local 511 provide specialized clinical services and support for people with developmental disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. Some of their highly skilled and vital positions include psychologists, nurse practitioners, audiologists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, instructor therapists and service coordinators.