until you can vote to choose OPSEU!
The next step for employees at Strides
In just a few days, you’ll be voting to choose the union for all workers in
the newly merged Strides Toronto. That vote, set for Oct. 14 and 15, will
have a big effect on your working life.
The choice is between two unions.
Here’s a crucial point to keep in mind: you’re not voting on one contract
or another. You’re voting on the union that you trust the most to get you
the best contract after the merger, and in the years and decades ahead.
The two unions are very different. Here’s what you get by choosing OPSEU:
Contact Us
Patti Markland, OPSEU Organizing Rep
[email protected], 416-802-8121
Daniel Peters, OPSEU Organizing Rep
[email protected], 416-805-1796
Sally Haydock, OPSEU Local 567 President
[email protected], 416-909-2960
Tafaris Haughton, OPSEU Local 567 VP
[email protected] 416-768-4148
- The lowest and most stable dues in the country – just 1.375 per cent
- Total control of your grievances – you decide if your grievance goes forward, not a union committee
- Exclusive focus on Ontario public services, with thousands of other members who provide the very same child and family mental health services that you do.
- A long, successful history of advocating for child mental health funding increases.
- Extensive experience negotiating new contracts after mergers like this. We always use the best provisions of your OPSEU contract and the UFCW contract at East Metro Youth Services as the starting point in negotiations for your merged contract.
For the strength of experience, join OPSEU. Members first. Members always.
The vote and what comes after
During a union merger vote, there is a lot of information to absorb. Sometimes, it’s misinformation.
For example, some staff at Strides have been told that they will lose what is in their current contract if they join OPSEU. This is simply not true. That’s not the way mergers work.
The rules for next month’s vote are set out under a provincial law called the Public Sector Labour Relations Transition Act (PSLRTA).
After the vote, a few common provisions such as seniority are negotiated. But for the most part, the members of each union will keep their old collective agreements until a new merged contract for all is negotiated.
The law says that all your rights — including your wages and your seniority, are protected. You do not lose anything you have in your current contract.
It’s the next step – negotiating your new merged contract – that is crucial.
OPSEU has been a leader in dozens of mergers over the years.
You’ll elect a new bargaining team, and with the help of your staff rep, they will consult with you all to set your priorities for the new contract. OPSEU always supports its merged members as they bring the best provisions from the two old contracts to the new contract’s negotiations.
Find out more
If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch: