OPSEU.LOCAL.368 -

OPSEU LOCAL 368

Standing Strong

President Peter Wright

Union Office: (705) 328-6000 Ext. 2165

Secure Fax line: (705) 328-6033

Steve Comtois currently in the union office

Expression of Interest:

Scheduling Officer Position

To: All Correctional officers
From: Local 368 Executive Committee
Date: June 26, 2009

Sisters & Brothers,
As per the MERC agreement, Local 368 Executive is seeking a member to fill the position of Scheduling Officer. This positing is a Monday-Friday position; you will work in conjunction with the scheduling manager. The position will commence on Monday, September 14, 2009.
The Local 368 executive will submit three names to the Employer who will then select the successful applicant as per the MERC agreement.
Please reply by email to Laurie Sabourin by Friday July 24, 2009 at 4 p.m.
In Solidarity,

Pete Wright, President

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****Attention members of the Corrections Division:

The New Attendance Support and Management Pilot Program

The following document was "leaked" by management recently.

This is a management document and was not negotiated by the union. It falls under managements rights to come up with such a program and in so much, it is no different than the previous program, in that we have the right to grieve this management program.

The ASP committee has yet to meet, MERC has sent dates to management and we are waiting to hear back. I am sure that is where management first intended to present this document to us.

In other news; section 22 training started with staff today. This project is supposed to be rolled out to the province over the next year to give Presidents from corrections some training in defending our members.

In Solidarity,

MCSCS MERC

The NEW ASMPP Document

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On June 24, 2009, the Local Union Executive Members at CECC walked away from the LERC table. Below is the emails sent to Zolton Polya regarding the issues:

24 June 2009

Zoltan,

We have had a strong labour relationship here at CECC but over the past few years it has deteriorated to the point we feel these meetings have not been productive or viable.

Given the recent series of events culminating with the arrival of the new Attendance Support and Management Pilot Program, we the Local Union Executive are withdrawing from the participation of the Local Employee Relations Committee until such time management from the Deputy Minister down engages and demonstrates a positive and respectful working environment with the Corrections Division.

These issues include, but not limited to the following:

Locally:

Fixed Term OM-16's which are causing a poisoned work environment
Balancing of Hours from the January CO rotation
Minutes from our LERC that are given to the union a day or two prior to the next meeting, a rush on our part to sign them and they don't reflect the union's side of the discussions
Nepotism of the Deputies with the hiring process of Non-CO positions
Ignorance of a Memorandum of Settlement regarding the Compressed Work Week Agreement with Maintenance
Nursing Department

Provincially:

CTO
Article 22 Investigations
Attendance Support and Management Pilot Program

Deputy Minister Hope continues to give accolades towards a positive working relationship, yet there is a continuous flow of negativity from above within the Ministry and our division continues to be attacked.

In the best interest of the bargaining unit members at CECC, we will continue to represent them to the best of our ability. We will identify issues that need to be addressed to the Employer thru whatever means available.

We will also hold the employer accountable by defending the rights enshrined in the Collective Agreement, legislation, policies and procedures, in order to create a workplace that is healthy, respectful and equitable.

Laurie Sabourin

LERC Co-chair, CECC

OPSEU Local 368

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OPSEU releases LOCK TALK for June 3, 2009 along with MERC. Please follow the links to view the updates:

LOCK TALK June 3/09: Click Here

CWW signed agreement: Click Here

Security Provisions & Inmate Population Sub Committee: Click Here

Members of Local 368 attended the rally in Ottawa. Dave Sirrs, Laurie Sabourin, Chris Ayotte and Steve Benko attended along with members from Owen Sound, Sudbury, Ottawa, Napanee and Kingston.

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***Reminder to all CO's:

Your Health and Safety and those of your colleagues are paramount in the job we undertake.

Please 'Work Safely' and make sure management adheres to the Collective Agreement.

See Glen Allin in the union office to file your grievance.

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Stock up for Summer at

the LCBO

Looks like a Strike is going to occur for the first time in LCBO history. A strike date of June 24th is set and the team has a 93% backing of it's membership. Read More

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Passing of RN at HWDC

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of yet another member at HWDC, Local 248.

Sister RN Sonia Dalpra, was in her 40’s.

More details will follow.

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Taken from the Corrections Merc Website:

Regarding CO Rollovers

Some questions have come from the field around Rollovers;

When might this happen?

The two original MERC dates were not enough to get through our agenda…as well, other factors around labour unrest postponed our meetings. So we had another date added last week….we have named the people we want on the MERC sub-committee to deal with this, we are waiting for managements names.

What steps to accomplish this?

We need a formula to ascertain what each institution is entitled to….we have to sit as the Roll over sub committee yet and discus this….but we have submitted our suggestion for a formula to management.

What are the numbers going to be?

See last Q&A….until we have the formula, we would only be guessing…..but would say given the recent agreements out of London and Maplehurst due to OLRB issues….that the bench mark is far over the 220 base…..which management has agreed to in “principle” during meetings that it is a base….the only problem, they have agreed to other things in the past and reneged (please see CTO agreements and soon you will hear about them breaching the numbers around management/union “Guns and Gangs Unit” for institutions).

From the unions stand point we want these Rolls done ASAP….there are many negatives attached to having long standing unclassified lists….No need to get into that portion…as the list would be long and we don’t have to tell unclassified members or anyone that was unclassified for even a small amount of years, the hell it puts people through, including those that are attached to that person on the peripheral, we know first hand.

Your MERC, along with all the local executives are committed in getting as many rollovers as soon as possible and bring some normalcy to as many members as we can in our division.

We are now awaiting the MERC minutes to be reviewed and then signed off, once done we will post.

In Sol.,

Eddy

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President's Message

Employment Standards,

Human Rights and the

LCBO

Some time ago the Globe and Mail ran a series of articles about the alarming growth of poorly paid, part-time employment. This was done after an Economic Council of Canada report on the erosion of good jobs – those with regular full time work schedules and decent pay.

Sound familiar? The authors’ main source could have been the Ontario Liquor Board’s current bargaining posture towards OPSEU. Truth is, the report by the now-defunct Economic Council was published almost 20 years ago and the Globe printed its series followed up a few years later in 1993. The Canadian labour movement has been fighting off the loss of full time good jobs for generations. Read More

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Court Reporters Campaign ramping up

It’s about the integrity of the record. OPSEU is fighting to maintain the function of transcript production for court reporters more...

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Ontario: Taking chances with car insurance?

Proposed changes to regulations under the Auto Insurance Act will make it harder to access rehabilitation for Ontarians injured in auto accidents for income replacement, medical and rehabilitation services, and attendant care.

Read More then Sign the petition

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Local Corrections

Presidents meet in Ottawa

On May 21st, Presidents and elected MERC teams from Corrections Services and from Children and Youth Services gathered at the OPSEU Ottawa Resource Centre. The centre happens to shares a wall in a strip mall with Premier McGuinty’s Riding office.

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H1N1 Flu Watch

Wednesday May 6, 2009 H1N1 INFLUENZA UPDATE

As of May 6, there are 49 lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in Ontario. Travel to Mexico or contact with a person who has H1N1 and who traveled to Mexico remains the most frequent source of the illness. Because laboratory testing capacity has been increased, cases of H1N1 are now being confirmed faster.

Mexican Swine Flu Watch

Friday May 1, 2009 H1N1 INFLUENZA UPDATE

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas yesterday communicated with OPSEU members in every sector about the Swine Flu outbreak, now being called Influenza H1N1

Sisters and Brothers,

This is an important message from your union regarding a possible influenza pandemic. As you know, Ontario is in an "enhanced state" of readiness and we need to remain proactive and vigilant in all OPSEU workplaces to reduce the chance of illness and further spread of H1N1 flu (previously called Swine Flu).

The attached memo from our Health and Safety Unit contains important advice to worker members of joint health and safety committees and health and safety representatives in all OPSEU workplaces.

As president, leader, or highest ranking member of your local, please ensure that this information is forwarded to your OPSEU representatives on joint health and safety committees and/or to all health and safety representatives at all workplaces in your local.

I encourage you and your local leadership to work in tandem with your worker safety representatives as they move forward with this important work.

In solidarity,

Warren ( Smokey ) Thomas
President

OPSEU info

WHO Updates

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Their fight is our fight

April 29, 2009

A thousand OPSEU members march on Queen’s Park, joining thousands more autoworkers and retirees rallying to preserve pensions.

A few days later, thousands of people from all over attend a rally to protect our rural hospitals from layoffs and closures.

We call it solidarity – actions that show a revived unity in the labour movement and the community.

Last week, Convention delegates passed a major resolution calling for a united response to the economic crisis. Our plan includes community forums and campaigns to save public services, create jobs and force the government to take the lead in the economic recovery.

There will be many opportunities for members and their families to get involved. The Canadian Labour Congress, the Ontario Federation of Labour, our National Union and OPSEU aim to create forums and rallies where we can march together, share our stories and map out a strategy for a the future of Ontario.

There’s nothing like a crisis to bring us together, and you’ll be seeing much more unity in labour over the next few months. Later this fall, we hope to welcome the CAW back into the Ontario Federation of Labour after years on the outs. As Ken Lowenza, the CAW president told our Convention last Saturday: “There was no split among the rank-and-file.”

Now more than ever, our leaders must set aside differences and unite on a plan of action.

Unity must be our strength, because we’re facing the same dire economic issues that demand an immediate response.

After all, we’re all in this together

In solidarity,

Warren (Smokey) Thomas

President

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OPSEU Local 368 is a composite local consisting

of employees in the following Ministries:

Community Safety & Correctional Services, Health & Long Term Care, Community & Social Services, Agriculture & Food, Attorney General, Children & Youth Services, Government Services, College and Universities and Natural Resources.

For more information call the Local

Union Office at 705-328-6000 Ext. 2165

Fax: (705) 328-6033