Essential and Emergency Services
Negotiations remain ongoing with the employer and under the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act (CECBA) OPSEU/SEFPO members in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) have the legal right to strike. However, during this process it also requires OPS Unified to provide essential and emergency services during a strike or employer lockout.’
Excerpts of the CECBA related to essential and emergency service plans are included below.
How does this impact OPS Unified Bargaining?
The OPS Unified Bargaining team is now gathering information from the membership to effectively negotiate new Essential and Emergency Services Agreement(s) (EESA) with the employer
- Update your member information on the OPSEU/SEFPO Member Portal
- 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
- Trivia Answer: Answer in Issue 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Distinction between EES Form and EESA?
Essential and Emergency Services (EES) are services necessary for the safety and/or security of the public. EES Forms are documents completed by locals to assist the Bargaining Team in negotiating the Agreements.
Essential and Emergency Services Agreements (EESAs) are any signed documents negotiated between the union and employer to provide the above services.
Doesn’t the union already have the Essential and Emergency Service Agreements (EESA’s) from previous rounds of bargaining?
All previous agreements are null and void and therefore new ones need to be negotiated.
Who decides what duties and which members will be essential?
Your Bargaining Team and the employer negotiate essential services in accordance with CECBA.
What can I do?
- Keep informed by reading OPS Unified communications
- Join your regional Area Coordinating Groups (ACG) on the Signal app
- Assist with completing local EES forms as requested
- Attend zoom sessions with the Bargaining Team as scheduled
- Update your personal information on OPSEU/SEFPO member portal.
CECBA Section 30
“Essential services” means services that are necessary to enable the employer to prevent,- danger to life, health or safety,
- the destruction or serious deterioration of machinery, equipment or premises,
- serious environmental damage, or
- disruption of the administration of the courts or of legislative drafting; (“services essentiels”)
- an essential services part that provides for the use, during a strike or lock-out, of employees in the bargaining unit to provide essential services, and
- an emergency services part that provides for the use, during a strike or lock-out, of employees in the bargaining unit, in addition to those referred to in clause (a), in emergencies. (“entente sur les services essentiels”) 1993, c. 38, s. 30.
Contact your local!
Complete and submit your EES forms by Friday, Sept. 13 to [email protected]
We want to hear from you!!!
Join the Table Talk Thursdays conversations every third Thursday on Zoom.
I bring together parts to form a whole, In a team or a bond, I play my role. Strong when united, weak when apart, What am I, connecting heart to heart?
In Solidarity,
On behalf of the OPS Unified Bargaining team:
Amanda Usher — Chair
Leslie Aiston — Vice Chair