2017

Toronto – An arbitration award to create a new collective agreement for more than 12,000 Ontario college faculty could have been reached at the bargaining table – and without the five-week strike that began October 16 – if the colleges had displayed “even the slightest” concern for students and staff during negotiations, the Ontario Public...

Ottawa – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) continues to grow in strength, with 61 staff at Maison Fraternité voting to become members of the union. The agency provides treatment and rehabilitation services for francophones with addictions and/or mental health issues. “OPSEU will now represent all non-managerial staff at Maison Fraternité,” said Ed Arvelin,...

Toronto – Medical laboratory professionals at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto have voted 100 per cent in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “With the merger this year of St. Joseph’s, Providence Healthcare, and St. Michael’s Hospital, the bargaining units of hospital professionals at the three sites will merge as well,”...

Kingston – St. Lawrence College will have newly renovated libraries but no college librarian to support students, staff, and faculty, says the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The college’s libraries in Kingston, Cornwall, and Brockville are staffed with five library technicians and one college librarian. As of January 12, 2018, the college librarian position...

Barrie – The bargaining team for Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 328 has asked the Ministry of Labour to begin the conciliation process in the wake of Simcoe County’s refusal to implement internal wage parity for its workers. Local 328 represents 22 superintendents and housing clerks in the social housing division who maintain...

Hamilton – Employees with the Hamilton branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) who provide services to adults with serious mental illness have voted to join the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). “These workers chose OPSEU because they were looking for security and protection at a time of uncertainty at CMHA Hamilton,” said...

Toronto – In light of concerns raised at the Horse Peoples’ Alliance of Ontario’s inaugural meeting on December 6, the President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is calling on Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk to conduct an audit of Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), formerly known as the Ontario Jockey Club. “Horse racing has...

Toronto – A recent CBC story on inmate deaths at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) in London overlooked the systemic issues that caused them, the union representing Ontario correctional officers says. “It’s not news that Ontario’s jails are violent places where violent incidents occur,” said Monte Vieselmeyer, co-chair of the Corrections ministry employee relations committee...

Toronto – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is commending the provincial government’s decision to guarantee treatment and compensation to more workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But a new bill introduced today still falls short of covering all workers exposed to trauma on the job, the union says. The government changed the Workplace...

Oshawa – At a public forum on pharmacare in Oshawa last week, area residents had a clear message for the federal government: Canada needs a national universal drug plan to improve access to prescription drugs, control high costs, and ensure drug safety. Area residents were shocked to learn that Canada is the only country in the...

Ottawa –The 57 protection agents who provide security services for the General, Riverside, and Civic campuses of The Ottawa Hospital have voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The chair of OPSEU’s Hospital Support Division said the workers decided unionizing was the most effective means of bringing some stability...

Toronto – After hitting a major roadblock in bargaining last month, workers at four of the province’s Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) have voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. Negotiations between the LHINS and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) resume December 15. “With these vote results, we will return to...