OPSEU/SEFPO

“Solidarity is the glue that holds groups together, binding seemingly disparate individuals and helping form new identities… [Solidarity] is a form of power rooted in the acknowledgment that our lives are materially intertwined… [Solidarity] means coming together across differences, it does not entail sameness.”

Leah Hunt-Hendrix & Astra Taylor – Solidarity pg.33

Purpose

The Phase 1 Demand Set Priorities Survey aimed to identify the key priorities of OPS Unified members for the start of the 2025 bargaining round. This review summarizes the data collected and provides recommendations to the Bargaining Team for the final demand set survey.

Summary

Universal Top Issues

The survey analysis shows that a “cost of living increase” and improved benefits are universally important across different employee groups, regardless of specific job classifications or Ministries. 82% of those surveyed indicated cost of living was an issue and 76% of those survey indicated improved benefits was an issue.

Demographic Variations

While cost of living and benefits are universally important, concerns around job security and workplace environment shape what issues come next for many.

Disability and Accommodation:

This group appears to be significantly impacted by various issues, including manager harassment, discrimination, failure to provide accommodations, and challenges related to returning to work.

Discrimination Concerns:

Both members with a disability and racialized groups are facing discrimination, highlighting ongoing equity issues.

Contract Worker Protections:

1. Fixed-term (FXT) and part-time workers show higher concern for job protections and the cycle of contracts
2. Seasonal workers show a high concern for seasonal contract abuse

Age-Specific Issues:

1. Younger workers show higher support for protecting young workers, issues with coercion to work overtime and through lunches. They are also more likely to want improved union access for new hires.

2. Older workers demonstrate increased interest in improved pension, severance and retiree benefits.

Income Level:

1. Workers with lower household incomes show higher support for job security
2. Workers with supplemental income show higher issues with coercion to work overtime and problems with scheduling practices.
3. Workers with higher household incomes and workers with long commutes show higher support for remote work rights.

Interactions:

1. Workplace stress is notably high when a member is a renter and requires an additional source of income to get by. Members experiencing this also seek alternatives to upfront payments for benefit entitlements.

The results highlight the complex interplay of various factors in shaping workplace experiences and concerns. They underscore the importance of an intersectional approach in addressing workplace issues, as most face a combination of challenges.

Influential Issues

Influential issues are those central, interconnected problems that – when addressed -may alleviate others. Here are the top 3 outside of wages and benefits:

1. Workplace Stress: is a pervasive concern that intersects with many other issues possibly acting as a multiplier.

Think of stress as both a driver and an outcome of issues in the workplace. For example, a member stressed by contract precarity or low wages may find other issues increasingly unmanageable even when work conditions don’t change.

2. Permanent Employment: reflects the prevalence of temporary and seasonal positions and their impact on the overall work environment.

 

Related issues	Interpretation
FXT job protections	Core issue: Many fixed-term workers still get trapped and are unable to transition into permanent roles.
Limit FXT positions	Equal priority: Capping temp roles forces the employer to create permanent jobs.
Access to new hires	Minor factor: Union representative access to new hires is a good thing but doesn’t solve precarity.

3. Workload Issues: points to widespread issues with work distribution and staffing levels. Intersects closely with workplace stress and could be a key factor in overall job satisfaction.

Related issues	Interpretation
Understaffing	Critical driver: Staff shortages are the #1 related issue.
Workplace stress	Self-reinforcing cycle
Administrative tasks	Bureaucratic burden: Excessive paperwork amplifies workload strain.
Duties as assigned	Moderate impact: Increasing job duties part of the problem.

Final Takeaway:

Explore understaffing and FXT worker exploitation after wages and benefits in the final demand set survey—they’re the heaviest, most actionable levers for improving workloads and job security. Stress reduction will follow structural changes.

Introduction

As of February 2025, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) Unified bargaining team is in the critical process of preparing for the upcoming demand set survey. This survey is a vital step in shaping the bargaining agenda for the next collective agreement. This phase involves gathering input from members and locals to identify key demands that will guide the bargaining team.

The OPS Unified bargaining procedures outline a comprehensive process for demand setting and surveying members. An online demand-setting survey is meant to identify and help rank top demands. When the Area Coordinating Groups (ACGs) met in late 2023, they decided to conduct a pre-demand set survey to get a better idea of the members’ range of issues and interests. This pre-demand set survey has come to be known as the “Phase One” bargaining survey. The results of this survey are to be used in the formation of the final “Demand Set Survey.”

Methods

The Area Coordinating Group (ACG) chairs and vice chairs constructed the survey using data collected during mobilizing for the Fair Wages Now campaign. The campaign was conducted in the fall of 2023 following OPSEU/SEFPO’s legal challenge win, which saw Bill 124 struck down by the Superior Court of Justice – a decision that was further upheld by the Ontario Court of Appeal.

The ACGs analyzed the issues and broke them down into themes:

• Employee Rights and Treatment
• Work-Life Balance
• Wages
• Benefits
• Precarious Employment
• Work and Performance
• Health and Safety
• Organizational Policies and Procedures
• Bargaining Unit Integrity

In early 2023, the ACG chairs/vice chairs held weekly meetings to decide survey structure, question wording, and key demographic information to track survey reach and to provide context as to why some issues are prioritized over others.

Demographic data included:

• Age
• Job Status
• Household Income
• Service Length
• Equity Group(s)
• Commute
• Region and Local
• Housing
• Other – eg. Do you financially support others, and do you have to supplement your income

In addition to the above, it was important to capture members’ thoughts on the demand setting process and collective agreement. The following long-form questions were included to capture these.

• What specific issues do you want included in the demand set, and do you have any ideas to address them?
• What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of the current agreement?
• Reflecting on past bargaining efforts, where do you think we’ve fallen short, and what do we need to do to improve?
• Did we miss anything? Would you like to expand on anything outlined above?

The survey was emailed to select members on March 24, 2024, and officially released to the general membership through the ACG Signal chats on June 16, 2024. Later, it was included in regular OPS Unified Bargaining communications. It was closed on December 16, 2024.

In addition to measuring how much an issue resonated with members, we also combined statistical learning and network analysis to extract insights from the survey data. (A deeper review of the methods can be found in the appendices)

Limitations

The survey was distributed by email and word of mouth. It is well known that FXT members have limited engagement with the union and would be less likely to hear about it. Many locals and worksites with limited connections may also not have had the same opportunity to complete the survey.

While the survey asked members about equity, the question presented may have been confusing or unclear. The question asked if members identify with any OPSEU/SEFPO equity groups. This may have limited the responses by members likely skewing results:

• Racialized and disability groups reported discrimination concerns, but without clear criteria for self-identification, these findings may understate or misrepresent systemic inequities.
• This is not an uncommon problem where nonresponse bias disproportionately excludes low-income and marginalized workers.

Results

Survey Counts

At the survey’s closing shortly after midnight on December 17, 5,296 responses were received. This represents 15% to 20% of the membership.

Issues

The section of the survey titled “What’s bugging you?” was designed to understand members’ issues brought forward during the “Fair Wages Now” mobilizing campaign in 2023. The question was, “Indicate which of these issues resonate with you? Please select as many as apply.”

The percentage of respondents indicating an issue was calculated as a whole and within each demographic group. Each row in Figure 1 below represents a different issue. The dot represents the average response, and the line represents the variation in the response. The shorter the line, the more agreement there was for the ranking of that issue. The longer the line, the more variable the level of support for that issue is.

Figure 1. Percentage of members indicating an issue resonated with them.

Demographics

Demographic data was collected to understand which member groups may be underrepresented and to identify shared experiences that impact responses. For example, those who indicated low household incomes also showed a preference for flat-rate wage increases.

We checked two main things for each factor:

1. How often it appeared to be important
2. How much of an impact it had

We noted the following,

Equity: Being part of an equity-deserving group is a strong predictor for a number of issues, highlighting the importance of these factors in how work is experienced. Disability stands out as a predictor of issues such as harassment by managers, discrimination, failure to accommodate, and return to work.

Employment Factors: FXT/Seasonal employment is connected to job security, such as problems with contract abuse and a path to permanent employment. It’s also worth noting that those who supplement their income are more likely to experience problems with scheduling practices.

Age Considerations: Age and long-term service significantly shape the demand for improved pensions, retirement benefits, and severance packages within the workplace. On the other hand, younger workers show greater support for issues affecting their demographic, such as protecting young workers’ rights, addressing coercion to work overtime, and ensuring union access for new hires.

Regional Differences: There are variations among the different regions. Regions 6 and 7, in particular, emphasize challenges associated with work-related travel. Being a member of Region 5 predicts potential problems regarding the availability of language resources, which suggests that language barriers may be a more pressing concern in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

To illustrate the distinct interests of the various groups, Figure 2 displays how each group’s support for a specific issue diverges from the overall average. Red indicates a higher level of support for the issue, while blue represents lower support. The rows correspond to different issues, and the columns represent demographic groups. Similar issues are positioned close to one another, as are similar demographic groups. Gaps have been inserted between groups that share similar patterns.

Figure 2. Differences from the overall average among demographic groups

Relationships

We examined how different issues relate to one another to understand their interactions better. This helped us identify key factors that affect many other issues and how unrelated issues can still influence each other through indirect effects.

In Figure 3, you can see a network plot. Imagine a map showing which workplace issues (like stress, benefits, or job security) are most connected to others. The “roads” between issues represent how strongly they relate to each other, based on survey responses. Remember, correlation does not equal causation. For example, we don’t claim stress causes workload issues—we show they’re often reported together.

From this network, we can see natural groupings, or communities, that highlight clusters of issues more closely related to each other than to those in the other groups. For example, the ‘Fixed-Term and Contract Employment’ group includes ‘fixed-term contracts’ and ‘seasonal contract abuse’—distinct but related concerns.

1. Employment Conditions: focuses on day-to-day operational issues and the overall work environment.
2. Benefits and Compensation: focuses on various aspects of employee benefits and compensation.
3. Workload and Stress: contains work distribution and understaffing issues.
4. Fixed-Term and Contract Employment: centred around fixed-term and contract employment issues.
5. Workplace Harassment and Discrimination: includes serious workplace conduct issues.

Figure 3. Network plot of the connections between the issues

From this network, we also measured which issues are central hubs—not just popular but connected to other influential issues. This approach combines the network structure with the number of members each issue resonated with, offering a nuanced view of key issues. Issues gain influence by being connected to other influential issues. For example, “workplace stress” is central because it links to both “workload” and “job security,” which themselves connect to many other concerns.

1. Workplace Stress

• • Relationships suggest that workplace stress is closely tied to workload management and full-time and contract workers’ psychosocial health and safety.

2. Improved Benefits

• • Improved benefits are likely a key factor in addressing various workplace concerns, including stress and work-life balance.

3. Permanent Employment

• • Pathway to permanent employment is linked to FXT job protections, ending contract cycles, and efforts to limit fixed-term positions and reflects concerns about the prevalence of temporary or contract positions and their impact on long-term stability.

4. Cost of Living Adjustments

• • A significant number of responses highlighted the struggle to afford housing, whether renting or trying to purchase a home. Many mentioned challenges paying for food and utilities, with some acquiring second jobs to make ends meet.

5. Workload Issues

• • The high centrality of workload concerns points to widespread issues with work distribution (growing administrative tasks and duties as assigned) and staffing levels.

Other Notable Issues

6. Vacation Entitlements

• • The prominence of this issue highlights the importance of work-life balance.

7. Improved Pension

• • This suggests significant concern about long-term financial security among workers and is linked to cost of living adjustment, improved retiree benefits and severance.

8. Duties as Assigned

• • Duties as assigned are tied to workload management, classifications, growing administrative tasks, and abusive work environments.

9. Medical Leave

• • Relationships suggest that concerns about medical leave are closely linked to long-term income protection, attendance management and vacation entitlements.

10. Insurers Pay Direct

• • While lower on the list, this still indicates significant interest in streamlining benefit processes.

Remember the sampling gaps outlined at the beginning of the report. Fixed-term workers were underrepresented. Their concerns (e.g., end to contract cycles) might be more central if they had been fully included.

Written Responses

Based on the written responses, a narrative about working in this organization emerges with several key themes:

Compensation and Benefits

Wages and Cost of Living

Members have expressed frustration that their wages have not kept pace with inflation and the rising cost of living. There are frequent calls for salary increases to match inflation rates, with some noting they are struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries and housing on their current salaries.

Benefits Coverage

Benefits are outdated and insufficient. People want:

1. Paramedical Services Coverage

• • Increased coverage amounts for paramedical services
  • Per-visit limits removed (currently $35-$45 per visit)
  • Increased annual maximums

2. Mental Health Coverage

• • Increased coverage for mental health services
  • Expanded coverage to include more types of mental-health professionals

3. Vision Care

• • Increased coverage for eyeglasses and eye exams
  • Annual coverage instead of biennial

4. Dental Coverage

• • Included coverage for restorative work, crowns, and orthodontics
  • Eliminated coinsurance and deductibles for dental care

5. Drug Coverage

• • Coverage for brand-name medications without generics
  • 100% drug coverage

6. Other Specific Asks

• • Direct billing for all benefits to avoid out-of-pocket expenses
  • Increased Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) amount
  • Improved retiree benefits, including extending current employee coverage to retirees
  • Acupuncture, naturopathy & fertility treatment

Work-Life Balance

Remote Work

Members value the flexibility and work-life balance that working from home provides. Some express frustration with mandates to return to the office, feeling that their productivity and well-being are better when working remotely.

Workload and Staffing

Concerns about heavy workloads, understaffing, and burnout are common. Many members feel overworked and stressed, with insufficient resources to manage their responsibilities effectively.

Job Security and Career Progression

Fixed-Term Employment

Significant dissatisfaction exists among fixed-term and seasonal employees, who desire more job security and a clearer path to permanent positions.

Classification and Compensation Reviews

Members have indicated their job classifications and compensation levels are outdated and do not reflect their current responsibilities or market rates.

Organizational Culture

Management and Leadership

Some responses indicate strained relationships with management, citing a lack of support, poor communication, and insufficient recognition of members’ dedication to the work.

Union Representation

While some appreciate “the union’s efforts,” others express a desire for stronger advocacy and more transparent communication about bargaining efforts.

Power

Many of the written responses convey a notable sense of powerlessness, but there are also indications of collective power and a desire for more assertive action.

Recognition of Collective Power

Despite individual feelings of powerlessness, there are indications that writers recognize the potential power of collective action.

• Desire for Stronger Union Action: Some responses suggest a desire for the union to be more assertive in negotiations, with calls for “stronger language” and more robust bargaining efforts.
• Strike Action: A few comments mention the importance of maintaining the right to strike, viewing it as a crucial tool for leveraging power in negotiations.
• Mobilization: There are suggestions to increase education about union history and to better connect with and mobilize members to boost morale and support during bargaining.

Desire for Empowerment

While many writers speak of others having power, there are clear calls for empowerment:

• Transparency: There are requests for more transparency in bargaining processes and decision-making, indicating a desire for more involvement and power in these processes.
• Representation: Some members feel that their specific needs or the needs of smaller groups within the union are not adequately represented, suggesting a desire for more power in shaping union priorities.

Disconnect Between Members and Union Leadership

Many writers seem to view the union as a separate entity rather than recognizing themselves as part of it:

• External Entity: Numerous responses refer to “the union” or “OPSEU/SEFPO” as if it is a separate organization, not something they’re inherently part of.
• Expectations of Service: Many comments frame demands or requests as things “the union” should do for them rather than actions they could collectively undertake.
• Criticism of Past Actions: Some responses criticize past bargaining efforts or decisions made by union leadership, indicating a perception of the union as separate from themselves.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The Phase 1 Demand Set Priorities Report provides critical insights into member priorities for the 2025 Ontario Public Service (OPS) Unified bargaining process, identifying cost-of-living adjustments, benefits improvements, and job security as significant concerns.

Meeting broadly across the OPS to discuss the results would be educational and an opportunity to engage in deeper conversations on these topics. These conversations would give members ample viewpoints when determining how to answer phase 2 questions. This can also serve to ensure survey results genuinely reflect members’ lived experiences.

To ensure the survey process is equitable and serves members’ needs rather than reinforcing existing hierarchies, efforts must be made to review results with identifiable groups. The goal is to empower the membership, not abstract their involvement and concerns into a survey.

Either before or as a part of the second survey, we should engage in a critique of austerity and privatization in Ontario. By excluding this information, we risk normalizing austerity narratives that have been used very successfully to undermine members’ resolve. Ontario’s austerity and privatization approach is a deliberate policy choice to undermine the public service that exacerbates staffing shortages despite framing privatization as a fiscal necessity.

Some responses indicated a disconnect between members and union leadership. The bargaining team and mobilizers should:

1. Continue transparent communication about bargaining efforts and outcomes
2. Promote member engagement and ownership of union successes and failures
   1. Organize casual meetings and open discussions where members can voice their concerns and ideas.
   2. Expand ways for members’ voices to be heard. Members will ultimately decide whether processes allow for tangible power in decision-making.
   3. Involve members in province-wide campaigns that address workplace issues. Show them how collective action can effect change.

Demand Set Survey

The Demand Set Survey should:

1. 1. Add Prioritization: Ask respondents to rank issues to help prioritize bargaining goals.
      1. Rating Scale Questions (allows for more nuanced responses) or
      2. Explore MaxDiff Analysis: Present members with sets of issues and ask them to choose the most and least important in each set. This method clearly shows the importance of each issue and reduces bias.
   2. Ensure Specificity: For high-priority issues, include questions about specific desired changes or improvements. Break down broad topics into specific components.
   3. Ensure that questions are clear and accurately measure what they are intended to measure. See “identifiability” below.
   4. Improve Sampling: Partner with locals to engage FXT/seasonal workers through in-person outreach and targeted incentives.

• Clarify Equity Metrics: Adopt Statistics Canada’s standardized definitions for equity groups to reduce bias.

1. Use Open-ended Questions: Include some open-ended questions to capture nuanced feedback on complex issues.

Ask the big question

For example, how likely will you support job action (e.g., strike) if the following demands are unmet? (Rate each on a scale of 1-5, where 1 = Very Unlikely and 5 = Very Likely)

• Wage increases
• Enhanced health benefits
• Job security provisions
• Workload management
• Improved work-life balance measures

Identifiability

Some concerns were raised about how members interpreted the questions. Identifiability in survey design refers to ensuring that questions are clear and accurately measure what they are intended to measure.

Providing Context: It is important to provide enough context for members to understand what is being asked. Use examples or additional descriptions to clarify the meaning of the questions.

Clarity of Concepts: Each survey question should reference a topic that is clear and easily understood by members. Avoid using vague or relative terms without specifying their meaning in measurable terms.

Decoupling Multiple Concepts: Ensure each question focuses on a single concept to minimize ambiguity.

For example:

Before asking about desired changes in benefits (question), provide a brief ov