WHO: The bargaining team would like to invite Unified members to Table Talk Thursdays.WHAT IS TABLE TALK THURSDAYS: Table Talk Thursdays are Zoom sessions where YOUR bargaining team shares updates and insights with union members about ongoing negotiations and activities. Join us to stay informed and engaged with the latest news and developments.WHERE: It happens over ZOOM. *New Link*WHEN: This happens every third Thursday of the month from 7 pm to 8 pm EDT (6 pm CDT). The next session will be August 21, 2025 at 7 pm ET.WHY: To keep the lines of communication open!Bargaining Update
Your OPS Unified bargaining team continues to meet with the employer 3 days a week – from Tuesdays to Thursdays – to continue our negotiations on Essential and Emergency Service Agreements (EESAs). The team uses Mondays and Fridays to regroup, caucus and strategize as we prepare for the next week ahead. Meetings are also continuing with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to clarify the dispute resolution process for EESAs.We will continue to provide updates as the process unfolds.
- Join your regional Area Coordinating Group (ACG).
- Review the EES Guide
- Complete the EES Form and send it to [email protected]
- Keep up to date on bargaining at OPS Unified Bargaining
- Previous Table Talk Issues
- OPS Unified Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our LinkTreeKey links and information for OPS Unified members including Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Demand Set Survey Completion
The Demand Set survey has been launched online! Now is your opportunity to actively participate in the bargaining process and demonstrate to the employer that we are UNIFIED FOR a better contract!If you have not yet completed the survey or have not received a link for the survey to your personal email, you can follow the steps below!- Check your personal email for an email from Stratcom titled “OPS Unified Bargaining Survey – Sondage de la FPO Unifiée sur les négociations de 2025”. If you are unable to find it in your main inbox, please check through your junk/spam.
- Retrieve your union # (required for survey completion). If you are having trouble locating your union number, you can use the member portal here: https://members.opseu.org/, or call this # 1-800-268-7376 to receive your union number.
- Ensure you are signed-up as a member. If you are not yet signed up as a member, fill out the form here.
- You can also contact your regional mobilizer through the area coordinating group chats to obtain all the information you need to complete the survey.
What are you Unified for?
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“UNIFIED FOR bargaining a better contract, to stop privatization and strengthen public services.”“Tell us what you’re Unified For”
You’re invited to the next OPS Unifiers meeting!
Your OPS Unified Mobilizers are hosting a critical organizing meeting for all members interested in helping spread the word about the importance of the Demand Set Survey!The survey is a powerful tool that will help determine what your bargaining team will fight for at the table – knowing that the membership is unified behind them. That’s why we need as many members as possible to take part and have their voices heard.Join us on Tuesday, September 9th 2025 at 12:30 pm or 8 pm (or both!) over Zoom to discuss how we plan to organize our membership to support the bargaining process and achieve high participation in Demand Set.RSVP Below! RSVP for 12:30 pm RSVP for 8 pmOrganizing 4 Power: OPS Unified
Another group of OPSEU/SEFPO members, including 35 OPS Unified registrants, recently completed the Organizing 4 Power (O4P) training. O4P is an internationally recognized program that teaches the core fundamentals of organizing so workers can act collectively and win better working conditions, including better OPS Unified collective agreements.O4P is all about high-power, high-participation unionism – the kind of organizing that builds real power at the bargaining table. When OPS Unified members actively participate in the bargaining process, it demonstrates to the employer that we are unified, and prepared to act together to win. That’s exactly what O4P is designed to teach: how to build that kind of collective power.Experienced leaders such as MERC members, Executive Board Members, and local presidents trained alongside newer activists, proof that no matter how long you’ve been in the union, there are always new skills and tools to learn.The co-facilitator of the group reported valuable takeaways from both the plenary sessions and small-group exercises. The training emphasized practical tools like structure tests, which are methods to gauge how ready and committed members are to act on the issues that matter most to them. Lively discussions explored how best to apply O4P’s principles in the workplace, balancing principled approaches with realistic expectations about member engagement. A key takeaway: apply the tools, test what works, and use them to build a stronger, more engaged OPS Unified membership that can win at the bargaining table.OPS Unified members interested in deepening these skills can register for the follow-up session, Power Up!, here: Sign up for Power Up!
Bulletins: Unified for Information
Your OPS Unified bargaining team has taken your questions seriously. As we all seek to learn more about our union, your bargaining team will be creating bulletins on topics of interest based on what we hear from you.You can find copies of all published bulletins through the link below, on the OPS Unified Linktree and on OPS Unified Social Media accounts. We encourage you to print copies to put up on your union boards and share the information with fellow members! Bargaining Bulletins
In OPS Unified, I start with proposals, pass through tension, end in a handshake—or a strike, after a few years of enforcement; I start again no matter what. What am I?Answer: The OPS Unified bargaining cycle.Get Unified!
Download one of these posters to add to your Union Board!
In Solidarity,On behalf of the OPS Unified Bargaining teamAmanda Usher — Chair
Leslie Aiston — Vice ChairNewsletter Issue #18