By Michael Hamilton, Local 376, inSolidarity Committee member
At the beginning of any OPSEU/SEFPO function, we begin with the land acknowledgment and then the statement of respect. The September 2025 statement reads:
“Whenever OPSEU members gather, we welcome all peoples of the world. We will not accept any unwelcoming words, actions or behaviours against our union members.We accord respect to all persons, regardless of age, creed, political affiliation and racialization including and not limited to People of African descent, Black, Caribbean, South Asian, Asian, Palestinian, women, men, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of ethno-racial groups, people with disabilities, gays, lesbians, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, and gender diverse persons, francophones and all persons whose first language is not English.
In our diversity we will build solidarity as union members. If you believe that you are being harassed or discriminated against, contact _______________ (specify names)* for immediate assistance.”
Now, you’re probably wondering why I quoted the statement of respect.
Unfortunately, there has been a culture of bad behaviour that has been demonstrated by members across all regions that some of them feel that the statement of respect does not apply to them. This has been shown through many of our various OPSEU/SEFPO events that take place across the province. The frustrating part is that when a member calls out the bad behaviour, they are then labelled as being the disruptor and that they should remain silent and let the abuse continue. As far as I know, all of us as elected leaders and the membership at large, have declared that we will always follow the OPSEU/SEFPO Constitution in which the oath of office states that respect will always be shown to our fellow union siblings.
I understand that emotions can run high at times because often we are dealing with the livelihoods of people and their lived experiences. At the same time, we must also still maintain a level of dignity and respect that all of us as members are entitled to. People who know me well enough know that I do not shy away from having hard and tough conversations with others. We may disagree on some of the issues but that does not give me the right to name call or demean others in any fashion. We do not conduct ourselves like this in our workplaces, so why would it be appropriate to behave like this in our union spaces? Compassion and empathy are something that I have observed that some members are lacking at times. If we want people to understand our trials and tribulations, then we must be open in being able to help foster an environment where members do not feel that their opinions albeit, aren’t rooted in hate or divisiveness, will be shot down.
The easy part is being able to stay angry with one another. The hard part is being able to learn how to forgive and understand that we all have different lived experiences and that all of us as members have something to contribute to the growth and strength of our union.