The results are in! Workers have spoken, and OPSEU/SEFPO is proud to welcome over 2,500 administrative workers at Ontario Health atHome!
In a decisive victory, following the largest geographical Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act (PSLRTA) vote in Ontario’s history – covering over 200 worksites across the province – administrative workers at Ontario Health atHome voted a resounding YES to join OPSEU/SEFPO.
“Thank you to every worker who voted for OPSEU/SEFPO – your trust in us isn’t something we take lightly. And to all the members and staff who campaigned hard – leading information meetings and presentations, making phone calls, answering questions – you have truly shown the strength of our fighting union,” said JP Hornick, OPSEU/SEFPO President. “This is only the start of building Ontario Health atHome administrative workers’ power. Solidarity!”
The results of the vote were as follows:
Administrative Unit:
- COPE – 6
- ONA – 82
- CUPE – 349
- OPSEU/SEFPO – 1524
Professional Unit:
- COPE – 21
- CUPE – 161
- ONA – 2830
- OPSEU/SEFPO – 2242
While we were not successful in the vote to represent the healthcare professionals’ unit, we are grateful to the thousands of workers who put their trust in OPSEU/SEFPO with a YES vote. We are committed to working with the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) to deal with joint issues and leverage the collective strength of a unionized workplace.
What happens next?
In the coming days, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) will issue a bargaining certificate. Once this happens, OPSEU/SEFPO representatives, as per the PSLRTA legislation, will immediately begin to negotiate common provisions for all administrative units at Ontario Health atHome – including measures to harmonize language around seniority, postings, and grievances. While this is happening, the current collective agreements for Ontario Health atHome workers remain in place and working conditions will not change.
From there, OPSEU/SEFPO will serve notice to bargain a new collective agreement that will cover all administrative positions at Ontario Health atHome. This is a process that will involve electing a bargaining team, building union structures, and ensuring workers’ voices are represented at the bargaining table.
All Ontario Health atHome members represented by OPSEU/SEFPO can expect updates in the coming weeks about the steps that follow.