OPSEU's annual convention opens with a flourish

'When the going gets tough, OPSEU members have the courage, the commitment and the brains to do anything they set out to do.' - Warren (Smokey) Thomas.

Toronto (6 May 2010) - The 35th annual convention of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) opened with a flourish Thursday as 1,500 delegates, alternates and observers gathered from across the province.

Members were welcomed to Toronto by Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Toronto and York Region Labour Council president John Cartwright and representatives from UNITE HERE, Local 75, representing workers at the hotel. Mayor David Miller, who could not attend, also sent greetings.

OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas welcomed the members noting that the next convention, in 2011, will mark 100 years since Ontario government employees were first organized within the Civil Service Association of Ontario.

“It is up to each and every one of us to lead,” Thomas told the members. “You’ve volunteered your time to help others. You’ve sacrificed your time to help others. You’ve given up time that you could have spent on things like family, friends, hobbies, exercise, education, or just plain relaxing. You’ve volunteered your energy and when you've run out of energy you’ve volunteered your adrenalin. Most of all, you’ve volunteered your labour. And next to your love, that’s the most important thing you can give anybody. So first and foremost I just want to say thank you – for all your work,” Thomas said.

“When the going gets tough, OPSEU members have the courage, the commitment and the brains to do anything they set out to do,” he added.

"We don’t want (Conservative Leader) Tim Hudak as the next premier of Ontario - for the same reason we didn’t want Mike Harris as the next premier. We have been there, we have done that and we’re finished with it. But at the same time, we don’t want a Liberal premier who, every time he makes a decision, makes things worse for working people, worse for public services and a whole lot better for the corporate fat cats who do not need our help in the slightest," Thomas said.

More than 1,000 convention delegates, other OPSEU members and supporters marched to the ministry of labour to protest the denial of democratic rights for thousands of part-time post-secondary workers in Ontario. Part-time college academic and support workers, and part-time Ryerson support workers, have been waiting for months to have their votes to join OPSEU counted.

They demanded that the McGuinty Liberals open the ballot boxes and count the votes of disenfranchised workers, OPSEU Convention delegates were joined by labour leaders from across the province.

“The amended Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA) technically allows part-time college workers in Ontario to unionize but it has been a complete failure in practice”, says Thomas.

“There are now several thousand part-time teachers, counsellors, technical and support staff who have exercised their rights and now cannot even join a union of their choice. What country are we living in?” 

Under the new legislation, 35% of the workers affected must sign union cards in order for the Ontario Labour Relations Board to order a vote. The legislation also gives the colleges an opportunity to challenge the number of cards the union has signed. 

Part-time college academic and support workers, and part-time Ryerson support workers, have been waiting for months to have their votes to join OPSEU counted.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE