2024 Comms Award winners

From powerful posters to social posts that sing, more than a dozen OPSEU/SEFPO locals and groups were recognized for communications excellence during an awards ceremony at Editor’s Weekend 2024.

Congratulations to all the OPSEU/SEFPO members dedicating their time and energy to keeping their locals and teams informed, inspired, and solid!

Local 101

Local 101 Frontlines September 2024

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 101 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

The first question anyone has when presented with a document is, “What is this thing?” With the Local 101 newsletter, you know right away. The flag—the banner at the top of page one—is clean and simple, identifies the document as a newsletter, and says whose newsletter it is.

This sounds pretty basic but it is absolutely crucial to any publication!

Using a different photo on the flag each month allows the reader to quickly identify whether they have seen this issue before, which is brilliant.

In terms of content, the newsletter is absolutely packed with information. Every issue of the newsletter shows a deliberate strategic focus that does several things:

it educates members about the union by explaining aspects of union policy (for example, how the Hardship Fund works) and pointing members to resources like the OPSEU website, social media links, and educationals;
it builds solidarity, especially through its “Meet a member” profiles. These profiles show strategic thinking as well, as they associate the union with likeable members who are quite obviously dedicated to their professions and the people they serve. These profiles highlight the connections between members and between members and the union. Lastly, the newsletter
situates the union in the context of larger social issues and the local community. By highlighting events like Pride Month and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the newsletter reveals a union local that is aware of challenges beyond bread-and-butter issues and willing to take responsibility for righting wrongs. energy of retirees across the province.

Issues of The Voice:

Local 109

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 109 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

Local 109 June 2024 newsletter

Local 109 website homepage – We support you so you can support our students

The Local 109 membership newsletter is visually exciting and clearly identified as a resource for Fanshawe College Support Staff.

This newsletter is laser-focused on telling members the benefits of union membership and what their union can do for them and their families, highlighting workplace benefits and available scholarships as well as union-negotiated discounts on cell phone service, train travel, hotels, and admission to attractions like Canada’s Wonderland and the Royal Ontario Museum. For the member who questions, “What has the union ever done for me?”, this newsletter says, “I’m glad you asked. Let me explain!”

In the midst of the excitement, the newsletter also takes time to educate members on college funding in Ontario (it’s terrible) and where to find union information (it’s easy and fast).

The local’s web page explains what the local does for members in simple terms and ties the union to members’ pride in their work. “We support you so you can support our students” is beautifully succinct.nergy of retirees across the province.

Local 109 membership newsletters:

Local 166

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 166 – Middlesex Community Living Facebook group cover page

This week, copies of the OPSEU/SEFPO Local 166 – Middlesex Community Living collective agreement will be delivered to your location

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 166 – Middlesex Community Living – HCCSS members receive Bill 124 Award and reach tentative agreement after marathon weekend of bargaining.

Local 166 website homepage – Representing over 1,000 members and 5 different bargaining units

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 166 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

The flag of this local’s private Facebook page shows a local that is determined to stand up for its members and provide important information when members want it, which is to say, NOW.

Key postings are clear and direct, and the emphasis on kindness and courtesy in communications within the local is powerful.

Local 238

OPSEU Local 238 CAAT-S Region 2 website homepage, featuring email signup and contract links

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 238 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

www.caatlocal238.com is a clean, elegant website that presents a lot of information very clearly.

There’s an overwhelming among of information that goes along with belonging to and participating in a union – collective agreements, benefits, local meetings and elections, and campaign info.

Local 238 takes a no-nonsense approach to making it easy for members to find the information they need, and maybe learn something new about their union as they do it.

It may not be the flashiest website you’ve ever seen, but members are never more than a click or two away from finding their collective agreement, their steward, or FAQ answers to any of the basic questions they might have about OPSEU/SEFPO and Local 238.

Local 241

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 instagram post – Celebrating Labour Day

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 instagram post – Union-busting dialogue you might hear from management

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 instagram post – Signing your card offers member-only benefits

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 instagram post – Meet your unit steward

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 241 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

Lively, lovely Instagram feed that mixes info and personality

@opseulocal241 is an Instagram account definitely worth a follow. It offers a colourful and engaging mix of information, personality, and news any worker can use.

Two great examples of many: the charming “Meet the Team” posts, which build camaraderie, trust, and solidarity within the local, and the clever “Union Busting Dialogue” slide, which is actually a lunch-and-learn invitation that’s a great tease of the kind of things you’ll learn if you attend.

Local 304

Local 304 email

Hello Member,

We send this to you today in light of the news this morning of Simcoe CAS laying off front line workers.

The situation has reached a critical point, and immediate action is needed to protect not only the vulnerable children and youth in our care but also the dedicated professionals who serve them.

Over the past months, we have witnessed alarming layoffs of committed staff, further stretching an already overburdened sector. These layoffs are not merely statistics; they represent a devastating blow to the essential services that our children and families rely on. With fewer hands on deck, the quality of care and support that children receive is at risk, creating a cascading effect that threatens the entire system.

Chronic under-funding is only worsening this crisis. It is unacceptable that in a society as resource-rich as ours, we are unable to provide the necessary funding to ensure that every child has a safe and nurturing environment. Families who are already struggling to make ends meet are now bearing the brunt of these financial shortfalls, leaving them without the support they desperately need.

Moreover, the continuous changes being imposed on the sector have only added to the instability. These changes, often implemented without adequate consultation or support, have left front-line workers scrambling to adapt, all while managing increasingly complex cases. The result is a workforce that is burned out, overwhelmed, and unable to provide the level of care that children deserve.

The placement crisis has now reached a breaking point. The fact that we are housing children and youth in hotels—and, in some cases, even in CAS offices—is nothing short of a failure of our system. These temporary and inadequate solutions are not acceptable. They expose children to further trauma and instability, which can have lasting impacts on their development and well-being.

The need to protect those who protect others is at a critical level like no other. Now, more than ever, we need solidarity among union members and unions alike. This crisis is not one that can be solved by any single group or organization. It requires a united front, with every member of our community standing together to demand the changes necessary to safeguard our children, our families, and our front-line workers. Solidarity is our strongest weapon against these challenges, and we must leverage it to its fullest extent to bring about meaningful, lasting change.

The CAS sector is actively working on creating lobbying days, campaigns, and, most importantly, collaborating with our colleagues at CUPE and other labor affiliates. Stay tuned for more information on labor initiatives to fight this fight.

UNITED together, we can and will make a difference.

If you have any questions or concerns, as always feel free to reach out to any member of your LEC.

In Solidarity

Local 304

Direct, urgent and real: an email to members that builds solidarity

Pictures and clever layouts can help punctuate any message, but the President of Local 304 understands that, at the end of the day, it’s the words that matter.

Within hours of lay-offs at Simcoe Children’s Aid Services (CAS), the Local 304 President had composed and sent a stirring email to all members – sharing the kind of information and analysis upon which worker solidarity is built.

The sentences are short and direct. The information compelling and demanding action. Two examples:

“These layoffs are not merely statistics; they represent a devastating blow to the essential services that our children and families rely on. With fewer hands on deck, the quality of care and support that children receive is at risk, creating a cascading effect that threatens the entire system.”
“The placement crisis has now reached a breaking point. The fact that we are housing children and youth in hotels—and, in some cases, even in CAS offices—is nothing short of a failure of our system. These temporary and inadequate solutions are not acceptable. They expose children to further trauma and instability, which can have lasting impacts on their development and well-being.”

Local 365

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 365 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 365 The Voice – May 2024

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 365 The Voice – In solidarity with LBED

Newsletter emails that look as good as they read. Best of all, they’re consistent.

Members of Local 365 are used to receiving The Voice every couple of months, and they know that when the click a new issue open, they’ll be treated to a thoughtful, and well laid-out compendium of information about their local and their workplace.

An easy-to-understand table of contents gives readers easy access to the information they want. Meanwhile, clearly defined sections sprinkled with beautiful pictures and subtle design cues also make for an interesting and sometimes even delightful scroll-down.

Special recognition to the local’s comms team for breaking format for breaking news: the special issue about the LBED strike is an inspiring example of OPSEU/SEFPO’s ability to build strength and solidarity among workers from across industries and sectors.

Local 373

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 373 June newsletter – Equity update

OPSEU/SEFPO Local 373 spring newsletter

A member of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 373 accepts the award from the InSolidarity Committee

Many amazing comms channels that all have one clear goal: engaging members.

If you don’t know what is happening in OPSEU Local 373 at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, you will after you read their latest newsletter.

This newsletter is jam-packed with information about local meetings, bargaining surveys, regional meetings and Convention, picnics, coffee breaks, and special events, as well as education about equity, the privatization threat in health care, reproductive rights, seniority, and (last but not least) how the Hospital Professionals Division and OPSEU itself work.

This is a local that is working hard to connect with members in multiple ways: through the newsletter, on bulletin boards, on Facebook, via email, and in person at membership meetings.

Local 373 newsletters: