November Table Talk Cancelled!
The November Table Talk member meeting has been cancelled due to scheduling issues. Join us for the next Table Talk on December 18 to hear updates from your OPS Unified Bargaining Team.Click here to register for December Table Talk!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.WHEN: This happens every third Thursday of the month from 7 pm to 8 pm EST (6 pm CST). Novembers session has been postponed. The next session will be December 18, 2025 at 7 pm ETWHY: To keep the lines of communication open!
- 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
- Bulletins – Unified for Information
Check out our LinkTreeKey links and information for OPS Unified members including Instagram and Facebook accounts.OPS Unified Bargaining Update
Over 300 members attended the latest October 2025 Zoom Table Talk, a great show of continued interest and solidarity. While this round of bargaining has been more of a marathon than a sprint, it’s clear that workers remain actively engaged and ready to mobilize.Your Bargaining Team continues to meet with the Employer three days a week to negotiate the Essential and Emergency Services Agreement (EESA). As decided by the membership at the 2022 OPS Divisional Meeting, negotiating EESAs before moving to issues bargaining is a strategic choice. Finalizing these agreements first ensures that when we reach the issues table, OPS Unified is positioned with the strongest possible leverage.This is a massive undertaking. The team is carefully reviewing approximately 1,500 distinct job classifications, including changes in duties and technology. The Employer is pushing a very broad definition of “essential,” and your team is working diligently to challenge and rebut those exaggerated claims, line by line.While we provided notice to bargain EESAs in 2024, face-to-face negotiations with the employer only began three months ago. This process is extensive and will take time, and your Bargaining Team is fully committed to seeing it through with diligence and determination.Throughout this process, transparency remains our top priority, and we will continue to share updates and information as it becomes available.A huge shout-out to the 9,405 members who completed their Demand Set surveys. It’s a historic milestone for OPS Unified! However, our work doesn’t stop there. Achieving a stronger collective agreement will take the active participation of all 30,000+ members to build even greater bargaining strength we need to keep the momentum going!Together, we will remain Unified.Return to Office Update: Standing Together for Work–Life Balance
Your OPS Unified Bargaining Team stands Unified with you in defending work–life balance. The employer’s arbitrary Return to Office (RTO) mandate remains a top priority at the Central Employee Relations Committee (CERC) table.We hear your frustration, anger and concerns regarding the employer’s Return to Office (RTO) directive and the changes to Alternative Work Arrangements (AWAs). We also recognize that not all members are equally affected, many have never had the option to work remotely. But this cannot divide us. Together we stand; Unified we fight.This fight is about more than office space, it’s about respect, fairness, work-life balance and the future of work in the Ontario Public Service. CERC Updates: Return to Office and Alternative Work ArrangementsEESA Bargaining
The process of EESA bargaining involves reviewing roughly 1,500 distinct job classifications within OPS Unified to determine if the service should be grouped as an essential or emergency service. Each job duty is assessed and negotiated based on CECBA criteria, technological changes, ministry reorganizations, and evolving service delivery models. This process has not been fully completed in over 20 years.Employer Disclosure
The Bargaining Team requires certain information from the Employer’s disclosure documents in order to draft proposals for negotiations. The Employer only began providing these disclosure documents in July 2025. Since then, the Bargaining Team has received thousands of documents and is currently in the process of reviewing and negotiating them.Where we are now
At this stage, the Bargaining team is focused solely on negotiating EESAs. We are meeting with the Employer three days per week to continue these negotiations.Issues Bargaining
Issues Bargaining will begin once EESA bargaining is completed, as outlined in the OPS Unified Bargaining Procedures and directed and voted on by the delegates in attendance at the 2022 OPS Divisional Meeting.We also want to emphasize something crucial:We’re committed to keeping you updated and ensuring your voice remains central in this process.As discussions progress, there may be times when we reach out to members directly for clarification or additional context regarding information provided by the employer for EESAs. Your insights are invaluable and help ensure we are accurately representing the needs and priorities of the membership at the table.Stay tuned for further updates as we move forward together, unified and focused on achieving a fair and respectful agreement.Please pay attention to your personal emails from OPSEU/SEFPO where you can learn how to support the various bargaining units also in negotiations.Actions you can take to support OPS Unified:
- Wear Black Shirt on Wednesdays to support your Bargaining Team.
- Organize your workplace by connecting with new members and ensuring they’re registered.
- Enforce the Collective Agreement by taking your breaks and working only your scheduled hours, refusing voluntary overtime.
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”
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!
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In Solidarity,On behalf of the OPS Unified Bargaining teamAmanda Usher — Chair
Leslie Aiston — Vice ChairNewsletter Issue #21