“We’ll be inviting you to more podcasts, more discussions with special guests, sector leaders, labour leaders, and leaders within OPSEU to have all sorts of discussions around labour issues, OPSEU issues, issues in society, equity, social justice,” says Thomas.
“You name it, we intend to try to have conversations about it and have all of you engaged in those conversations.”
The pandemic has changed everything, including the way OPSEU and its active members carry out the union’s day-to-day business.
This Friday, OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and First Vice-President Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida launch their new podcast – OPSEU Talk – with a conversation about some of their biggest fears, and also some of their proudest moments, about how the union is getting through the pandemic.
“It’s certainly not the same as working face-to-face, but we’ve been able to maintain service and we’ve worked really hard to maintain solidarity within the union,” says Thomas during the podcast.
Almeida says plans for a podcast had been in the works before the pandemic hit, but that it makes even more sense now that it’s so much more difficult for members to get together and share information and ideas about the union.
“So one of the things people ask me, and I’m sure they ask you too, Smokey: what keeps you up at night?” Almeida says. “One of the things that comes up over and over again is: how can OPSEU members work together safely until there’s a vaccine? And also how we can continue to grow as a union and support the work of our locals and divisions and sectors?”
You can hear their full conversation on Friday, Sept. 25, when OPSEU Talk launches on www.opseutalk.org. It and future episodes will soon also be available through iTunes, Google Play, and most other places where you get your podcasts.
“We’ll be inviting you to more podcasts, more discussions with special guests, sector leaders, labour leaders, and leaders within OPSEU to have all sorts of discussions around labour issues, OPSEU issues, issues in society, equity, social justice,” says Thomas.
“You name it, we intend to try to have conversations about it and have all of you engaged in those conversations.”