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How OPSEU spends or invests our money is an issue for all
our dues paying sisters and brothers and it is the fiduciary
duty of the Board to act at all times to provide the best
stewardship possible for our funds. In fact the very next
presentation that day was from Jones Heward Investment Counsel
Inc on that very issue how best to invest OPSEU's growing
strike fund. The motion carried over from the September meeting
was that OPSEU purchase the building at 31 Wellesley Street
for $2.2 million plus GST, land transfer tax and other assorted
costs including legal costs. At this time the building carries
an appraised value of $3.1 million. Debate centered on not
just if OPSEU should hold real-estate but also on the manor
in which we could purchase it. That is should the purchase
be made from the General Fund or should the Strike Fund be
used. At the October meeting there was disagreement as to
the constitutionality of making any purchases out of the Strike
Fund. The matter was referred to the December meeting where
it was recognized that the precedent had been set, 100 Lesmill
had been funded through the strike fund and it was further
pointed out that it has since become a strike fund asset,
an asset that has been mortgaged, in previous strikes. At
this time some of those board members that were still not
openly opposed to the purchase presented the case that the
building should be purchased out of the general operating
fund. But that fund it was pointed out is already stretched
to the limit and then some, often going $3 to $4 million into
the red each month costing us $15 to $16 thousand per month
in added borrowing costs. (This when we have over $32 million
in the strike fund! Why we don't borrow from ourselves is
a matter that has not been fully debated by the board since
my arrival and may require a constitutional change at convention
but it would save us $180 thousand to $190 thousand per year.)
Here the point was raised by Brother Thomas that to
purchase the membership centre out of the general fund would
once again result in that fund in effect subsidizing the strike
fund since the building would be an obvious asset to borrow
against should the strike fund ever run short. In the end
a motion was passed that permitted the Board to make investment
decisions and set policies for the strike fund including the
purchase of real estate consistent with the objectives of
the fund as defined by the constitution. This was essentially
an enableling motion, which allowed the Board to then proceed
with a motion to purchase the membership centre at 31 Wellseley
Street under the conditions already outlined. With the purchase
of the building the strike fund will realize an almost immediate
30% growth on its investment. Costs for up keep of the building
will continue to come out of the general fund. The building
will become a Strike Fund asset, and some pressure will be
taken off the general fund in that rent will no longer have
to be paid. Thus freeing up money for more member services.
As I said the next item on the agenda at the October meeting
was a presentation by the investment group of Jones and Heward.
Our Strike funds are expected to grow at between $6 to $7
million per year and should reach the 50 million dollar mark
in less than three years. It must be noted that OPSEU does
not expect any large-scale strikes for the next 3 years at
minimum. Major job action on behalf of our part-time sisters
and brothers in the colleges not withstanding. It was presented
that OPSEU look into long-term investments for up to 40% of
the fund in Universe bonds and equities for greater return
while still being very risk conservative. It was a very interesting
presentation and one, which the Board will consider at latter
meetings.
Then an in-camera session followed where we dealt with current
and future staffing issues effecting OPSEU staff and member
services. Our staff are nearing retirement in large numbers
and will need to be replaced. We are being very proactive
on this issue with our MDT program in training our members
to fill these expected vacancies. These are good jobs that
will be opening up to you our activists.
Sister Terry Downey Vice President from Region 5 was
unanimously endorsed by the Board to replace sister Ethel
Birkett-LaValley to run for a seat at the OFL convention
November 21 through 25th. Sister Downey was successful
in her quest. Congratulations Terry on your gaining a seat
on the OFL, I hope you go on to achieve great things for the
working men and women of Ontario. The December meeting was
Terry's' last Board meeting she will be replaced by returning
sister Peggy Maybury. Welcome back sister.
The number and severity of natural disasters just keeps going
up. Could these disasters be the result of Global Warming,
or runaway population growth? Two new disasters struck that
we felt need to be addressed and for that reason the Board
moved that $10,000 be given each to earthquake relief in Kashmir
and hurricane relief in Guatemala the money to be drawn from
the contingency fund. Perhaps it is time that OPSEU make donations
to disasters a budgeted one time yearly item set at say $50
thousand.
HPD division chair and board member Sister Patty Rout
presented a proposal to bring more of the 91 hospital units
in the 78 hospitals across the province together for central
bargaining. Currently 50 units bargain centrally 41 bargain
with the their hospital boards. It is hoped that with more
centralized bargaining the process which can take up to two
years or more will be speeded up and new collective agreements
can be ratified in a more timely manor.
A motion was also passed to spend $15 thousand to fund the
production of a 22-minute documentary on the Ontario Liberals
record of broken promises. These broken promises include stopping
the further encroachment of P3 Hospitals, (see the story on
LHINs) restoration of labour laws, the P3ing of public infrastructure,
the privatization of future electricity production and the
proceeding privatization of government services in all sectors
including developmental services are but a few examples. On
completion this documentary will be available to members on
CD.
Progress on the merger with the OLBEU (Ontario Liquor Board
Employees Union) continues. At the October meeting it was
presented that the OPSEU constitution will take full effect
on December 31st of 2005 and that OLBEU will be transformed
into the Liquor Board Employees Division. At the December
meeting the committee placed forward the new local organization.
In Region 4 it is my privilege to welcome into the OPSEU family
four new locals. Local 497 with 201 members serviced out of
the Kingston Regional Office. Local 498 with 112 members,
and Local 499 with 443 members served out of the Ottawa office.
Local 4100 with 125 members will be served from the Brockville
Office. The Board members here in Region 4 want to extend
all the benefits that OPSEU has to offer so for members of
these new locals, we especially encourage you to call us if
you have a question and to sign up for our next regional education
in the Spring of 2006. An LBED Divisional meeting is scheduled
to take place on January 23rd and 24th in Toronto. Again welcome
sisters and brothers to the greatest Union in Ontario, and
Happy New Year!
The Final order of business at the October Board was the passing
of a motion calling on the OFL convention to pass a resolution
that the OFL and affiliates lobby the Ontario government to
stop the implementation of the closure plans for Huronia,
Rideau and Southwestern Regional Centres for the Developmentally
Disabled. The motion was presented by sister Casselman
and seconded by yours truly. The OFL passed this motion at
convention. Thank you sister Sue Brown for working
to ensure that this motion hit the convention floor.
A truly enormous amount of new information
was passed on to us at the December meeting…
OPSEU in conjunction with four other major unions including
CUPE, ONA and SEIU representing over 200,000 health care professionals
across the province have united to campaign against the "managed
competition" or "competitive bidding" process
that is threatening to be instituted by the Liberal government
as part of the LHINs privatization scheme. This will be disastrous
for our workers and for the public we serve. Competitive bidding
as we have already experienced in home services will result
in constantly changing care providers, privatized services,
a regular schedule of job loss and reorganization, and the
lowering of health care standards. Patients will have to change
where they go for care and whom they see, and this could mean
travel distances of hundreds of miles or from one end of Toronto
to the other. This legislation will mean huge job loss for
our members, relocation and inevitable lower wages. This will
be a massive campaign with major expenses planned for media
advertising, media events, member mobilizing, printing of
flyers and postcards and local demonstrations and lobbying.
Total expenditure is likely to exceed $500 thousand.
The Board passed two motions. The first an enabling motion
to allow the Board to spend more than $20,000 and the second
was a motion to begin the joint campaign with a kick-off amount
of $67,000.
From what I learned about the LHINs proposal in general it
seems to me to be nothing more that another move by this government
to get out of the business indeed the responsibility of providing
services any services to the people of Ontario whether it
be health services or developmental services. This government
wants to be able to cut a cheque and walk away while the services
are privatized wholesale. Some at the Board believe that the
LHINs cannot be stopped. I think that that is the issue we
should be fighting not the issue about how we try to survive
with LHINs.
But on another aside, this campaign looks as though it will
draw not just half a million dollars from us but also a like
amount from at least three other major unions. That is over
two million spent in the corporate media fighting the corporate
agenda of health care privatization. Would not that money
be better spent with the outright purchase of our own media
outlet so that we can shape the public discussion on a daily
basis on a whole raft of issue that effects our members and
not just when we purchase 30 seconds of time on a right wing
talk show? Thereby supporting the jocks ability to savage
us for the other 2 to 3 hours. (Please read my accompanying
article).
Brother Thomas continued to inquire about OPSEUs sponsorship
of an Ultimate fighting ring at a cost of $9000. Sister Downey
in her last presentation to the Board asked us to apply pressure
to the Sheraton Hotel to bargain fairly with their employees
organized in UNITE.
Sister Sheryl Ferguson President of local 431 and
Brother Mike McFadden vice president of that local
were present and made a short presentation to the Board on
their concerns around their pension issues and their struggle
to get out of HOOP and into the OPTrust. A short in camera
session followed their presentation and Smokey was
officially assigned by the Board to oversee its resolution.
Local 431 held 2 lunch time meetings on Thursday December
22nd for its' general membership, Brother David Rapaport
a long time pension trustee was present to help answer
members questions.
Following that we had a presentation from TEA (Toronto Environmental
Alliance, have I thrown enough acronyms at you yet?) They
will be helping OPSEU green itself and meet our Kyoto goals
through the one-ton solution. The motion for cost attached
to this presentation was $53,000. Dr. David Suzuki
is scheduled to be our main guest speaker at this year's annual
convention.
Terry Baxter hit the hot seat next with his presentation
to the board on the language in our OPS collective agreement
regarding pay equity and reclassification. Now remember people
that the OPS strike vote for the last round of bargaining
was to be charitable, weak. I know many of the members who
sat on the bargaining team and I know that they are very competent
people who did their very best under difficult circumstances.
Remember we did not deliver the vote! That said many of our
members including myself and virtually all members of the
board felt that the pledge to eliminate totally the backlog
of 6000 to 7000 reclassification grievances would result in
increased pay for virtually all the people involved. That
Terry informed us is not the case. No salary issues will be
dealt with until the next round of bargaining. The same is
the case with pay equity; a new gender-neutral classification
system for each bargaining unit will be developed with the
help of an outside consultant picked by the government. The
actual pay adjustments expected to arise through pay equity
and reclassification are not to be dealt with until the next
round of bargaining. As it is, the work on clearing the backlog
of reclassification grievances that should be well underway
by now since the government agreed to have them all dealt
with and settled within one year of our signing the contract
has nearly 6 months into the year barely begun. Come bargaining
time, obviously the employer will come to the table and attempt
to deny us a raise and instead point to pay equity and reclassification
cost as having eaten all their entire budget allows. It is
an inescapable conclusion. Already it is evident that the
next round of bargaining will be tough. Since the new collective
agreement has a clause ending the ability to file new classification
grievances when a reclassification problem arises, if your
work load suddenly grows, or if your job description is changed,
raise the issue with the manager immediately. Call Terry
Baxter and let him know that you have a reclassification
issue. Then raise it again at your LERC and if/when it is
not resolved refer it to your MERC.
Day two of the December meeting kicked off with nearly 2
hours of Harassment and Discrimination training given by brother
Shuresh Paul. The Training was fun and informative.
But I think it was wasted. Wasted because one of the primary
17 prohibited grounds of discrimination as listed in our policy
is that one should not be discriminated against or harassed
based on political grounds.Yet that is exactly what happened
latter that same day when the chair of OPSEUs political action
committee denied Brother Bob Eaton the same resources
that the committee recommended for every other OPSEU member
standing for election in this Federal campaign. Sister Doris
when asked stated that OPSEU would only support NDP candidates.
Brother Thomas introduced an amendment to allow for
funding to include any member regardless of political affiliation
and that was defeated in a roll call vote. Any one who knows
Brother Bob knows that his work ethic and his ability
to represent the members are second to none. Bob Eaton
will be a first class representative for the riding of Leeds
& Grenville as he has been a first class representative
for his OPSEU constituents here in Region 4. A roll call vote
was taken on the motion and again only Brother Thomas and
I objected. We were assured that the motion was legal and
in order as was presented. Now on further review and I hope
I am wrong on this, but I believe that OPSEU is limited by
the new campaign donation laws to a total donation
of money or in kind of $1000 so the motion to spend $55,425
on the federal campaign may well be in violation of the law.
But the members of OPSEUs PAC must have already investigated
this.(It turns out that they did not and our attempt to give
over $55,000 got OPSEU front page coverage on the National
Post.) Three board members voted against this motion on a
roll call vote Brother Thomas, Sister Pauline Tapping
and myself. Both Smokey and I filed notice of minority
reports.
The issue of a BPS grievance database was raised since wins
are often getting lost, resulting in others having to retrace
the some victories at a substantial cost in time and money.
President Casselman assured us that that database was
being developed and should be in place early in the New Year.
Fran Borrsellino presented the board with a first
class informed synopsis of the organizing challenges and goals
facing OPSEU in the new year the largest single one being
the possible implementation of the LHINs network.
Smokey motioned seconded by myself that $10,000 be
given to the legal defence fund headed by James Gray to cover
help cover the costs of the current legal battle being waged
successfully by the families of Rideau, Huronia and South-western
to stop the eviction of nearly 1000 of Ontario's highest needs
aging residents from the only home most have ever known. The
group won yet another stay, this time at the Divisional Court
level stopping moves from the facilities without consent for
the length of time it takes the court to come to a decision
on the matter plus 30 days. The Ministry is endeavouring to
force the wholesale privatization of Developmental Services
by adopting a one size fits all solution. Most, 85% plus of
the developmental challenged population should live in the
community and with proper support do well but for those who
can't their needs to be an alternative. An alternative that
does not include the revolving court appearances, probation,
jail or locked psychiatric wards.
This case will likely end up in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Regardless of what happens huge amounts of new law will be
developed. New law, which will affect everyone in Ontario
involved in the delivery of Social Services. To all those
OPSEU sisters and brothers reading this, if you have information
to share regarding a person with developmental challenges
who has fallen through the cracks of our ruptured social services
safety net please contact me, your information could be vital
in saving that persons life and rebuilding that same net.
Brother Richard Larcher acted to fulfill one of his
main campaign pledges by introducing a motion limiting the
term in office for OPSEUs top two posts to 5 consecutive terms.
This matter will be reintroduced and discussed at the next
board meeting.
Also, at our next meeting, the matter of purchasing the old
OBLEU headquarters will be debated, since at that point we
should have an engineering report on the physical plant.
And that is a basic overview of the last two Board meetings
in as brief and as concise of terms as I can manage.
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