Category: Bargaining
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Retirement security is for everyone
Dear sisters and brothers: Some phone calls you just don’t want to take. Recently, Stockwell Day called up unions representing workers in the federal public service. He said he wanted to meet. Recently named as President of the Treasury Board, Mr. Day is basically the new Minister of Cutbacks for the federal government. He called…
Andy Pedersen
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OPSEU members are setting the agenda
Dear friends, On Dec. 3, OPSEU members took part in 24 events across Ontario with one goal: to start a public conversation about corporate tax cuts. Neither the Liberals nor the Tories want this conversation to happen. Under Mike Harris, under Dalton McGuinty, the most profitable corporations in this land have had their way on…
Andy Pedersen
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Labour Day and the value of work
Dear friends, As we head to Labour Day and the Oct. 6 provincial election, I’ve been thinking a lot about work. Without work, we have no food, no clothing, no housing. Without work, we have no healthcare, no education, no support for those who can’t work. Without work, we can’t live. The roots of the…
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Get colleges under control
Dear sisters and brothers, Ontario’s colleges are out of control. With all the media glare around the e-Health and OLG scandals this year, the outrageous antics of the Colleges Compensation and Appointments Council – the colleges’ employer group – have mostly gone unnoticed. With the spotlight elsewhere, the Council has been obstructing democracy, misleading its…
Andy Pedersen
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Convention 2012 Provides An Action Plan For The Year Ahead
I’ve been attending OPSEU Convention for four decades. Each has its own theme and personality. The 2012 Convention can be summed up by the following comments that came my way! “Hey Smoke, how are you doing?” “Pretty raucous in there, eh?” All that I can say is: “Never been better”. OPSEU is more alive and…
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We all have choices
Dalton McGuinty and Dwight Duncan had choices. People or politics. Decency or deceit. Ontario or their entourage. These choices brought predictable results. Threats of a “temper tantrum election” and the media’s translation of reality forced the worst possible result: a Tory flip-flop and the watering down of budget amendments that made sense for Ontario. I…
Andy Pedersen
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The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
These words, from the inaugural address of Democratic President and New Deal architect Franklin Delano Roosevelt, were as true then as they are now. Almost 80 years later, fear is the motivator used by the corporate elite. Think about it. We continually face the fear imposed by threats of economic collapse. We are repeatedly told…
Andy Pedersen
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Responding to the March Budgets
The federal and provincial governments, in their budget speeches made one thing perfectly clear- there can be no March break for the middle class, the poor or the vulnerable. Clearly the interest of the majority has been sold out in favour of the privileged few. But even with these statements from government, has the penny…
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OPSEU Democracy – Building Our Union Together
As delegates make their plans for Convention 2012, the energy levels across OPSEU are on the rise. You are this union’s highest decision making body. Once informed, you will make important decisions about where this union will be in the years to come by casting your vote on the many resolutions and motions presented to…
Andy Pedersen
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Jump in to the election conversation
Dear friends: Ontarians go to the polls to elect a new provincial government on Oct. 6. It’s time for all of us to jump into the conversation. That’s because if you are an OPSEU member, this election will be about you. Politicians are falling over each other talking about plans to cut public spending. Liberals…
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Four tough years for Canada
Dear friends, The election of a Stephen Harper majority government marks the start of four tough years for Canada. Harper did a lot of damage during his five years of minority government. He cut corporate taxes and the GST, robbing public services of billions of dollars. He slashed funding to groups advocating for a fairer,…
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Convention 2012 – Meeting All Challenges
Greetings Sisters, Brothers and Friends As budget 2012 approaches, I have to admit I am feeling some pressure, excitement and a wee bit of anxiety. Not only will this be my first budget presentation, but I am also recommending a dues increase. As stated before, I do not take this recommendation lightly. It troubles me…
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Wall Street protests come to Ontario
Dear friends, A new people’s movement is being born before our eyes. From its start in New York last month, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement has spread across the U.S. and now into Canada. Protests have been peaceful, but that hasn’t stopped the arrest of thousands in the U.S. Clearly, many people are committed to…
Andy Pedersen
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The new “government” of corporate elite
The power of the stock market has now surpassed the power of nation states. Governments, once guided by democracy, are under the influence of this new “privelegocracy”. Ballots have been replaced by bailouts. Italy and Greece are nation states that have fallen to these demands. The result: goodbye elected government…hello board of directors. Their new…
Andy Pedersen
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Resources for a strong future
Greetings Members There is an old proverb that states “May you live in interesting times.” It sounds good until you really think about it…I believe it was meant as more of a curse than anything else. 2012 looks to be a good example of living in interesting times. From all indications, this will be the…
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Ontario labour unites in the crisis
Dear sisters and brothers, A few weeks back, I and Sid Ryan, now President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, convened a meeting at OPSEU Head Office. We brought together key Ontario union leaders from both the public and private sectors. We had just one topic of discussion: the crisis facing Ontario. It’s not a…
Andy Pedersen
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It’s OPSEU budget time again
With late fall the days get shorter and the nights get longer. It is also a season when what remains of my hair becomes a little greyer. Why? It is budget time. As 1st vice president / treasurer this is the focus of my office. It is not an easy task. Setting the financial blueprint…
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Fighting today for the workers of tomorrow
In our union, like many others, we naturally give primary focus on the events that have a direct impact on our members. Cuts in the OPS, the closure of jails, proper funding for developmental services, CAS, mental health, privatization…all of these issues and many more keep our activists busy and engaged in protecting rights and…
Andy Pedersen
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Conservatives Unwrapped
Product branding. From Ford to Coke, corporations, organizations and political parties rely on it to build their customer loyalty. During past weeks the brand of the Conservative Party has taken a beating. Conservative Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin were tossed from their party caucus due to alleged irregularities with their expenses. Conservative Senator Patrick…
Andy Pedersen
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Vulnerable Retirees Deserve Much Better
This week’s Toronto Star exposé about neglect and filthy conditions at a Toronto-area retirement home highlights concerns the union has been raising about quality of care in these facilities. OPSEU members who work in retirement homes have been telling us for years that the residents they see are increasingly frail, sick, and in need of…