Convention 2022
Resolutions Submitted by the Deadline of February 18, 2022 Submitting Bodies (Ministry and Sector, Division, Locals, Area Councils, Executive Board, and Provincial Committees)
| Region | 1 | Gino Franche | Member |
| Region | 2 | Mary Cator | Member |
| Region | 3 | Elaine Bagnall | Chair |
| Region | 4 | Veronica Attard | Vice-Chair |
| Region | 5 | Joe Healy | Member |
| Region | 6 | Kimberley Kazur | Member |
| Region | 7 | Jody Tsubouchi | Member |
Resolutions Committee Report
February 18, 2022
- Resolutions Received from Submitting Bodies (Ministry and Sector, Division, Locals, Area Councils, Executive Board, and Provincial Committees):
| No. of Resolutions Received: | 40 |
| No. of Resolutions Referred to Constitutional Committee | 1 |
| No. of Resolutions Rejected*: | 1 |
| No. of Resolutions Accepted: | 38 |
- Resolutions are rejected because of failure to meet the requirements outlined in “Your Guide to Resolutions and Constitutional Amendments”, i.e. resolution which is already policy, failing to meet the deadline, improperly voted, or the subject is deemed to be a bargaining issue, etc. The Committee voted on each rejection.
2. Section G – Resolutions:
Resolutions that were received on the deadline of February 18, 2022, and accepted by the Committee are in the Resolutions Book – Section G, categorized by subject. Identical or similar resolutions are only printed once in the book, but with all other submitting bodies clearly identified.
All delegates are encouraged to review the Resolutions Book prior to Convention.
3. Report of the Resolutions Committee:
This year, the first report of the Resolutions Committee will be in your Convention kits.
4. Emergency Resolutions to Convention:
An Emergency Resolution to Convention is a motion which is:
- truly unexpected; and
- urgent; and
- of great importance to the Convention
- and it is NOT an issue that could have been foreseen prior to the resolution deadline date and submitted in the proper
However, if such an issue arises, please provide your motion in writing with a rationale, to any member of the Resolutions Committee. We will assess its merits and recommend to the Chair of the Convention our opinion on the merits of any and all proposed emergency resolutions received.
The “Emergency Resolutions Guidelines” will be included in your registration kit.
5. Alternative Format:
A Large Print version of Section G has been prepared and is available on request. Please contact the Convention Office at convention@opseu.org to obtain a copy.
6. Where do you find the Committee at Convention?
The Resolutions Committee will be available from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. during Convention. The committee will be located in the Halton Room at the Intercontinental Hotel.
7. Activities of the Committee since last Convention:
- The Committee dealt with the resolutions that the 2019 Convention did not deal with, for preparation of a final report to the Board for their action.
- The Committee met in February to prepare for the printing of the Resolutions Book.
- The Committee met in March to prioritize and make recommendations to Convention regarding the submitted
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Resolutions Committee member for your region. In the meantime, the Resolutions Committee hopes you enjoy a good Convention.
In solidarity,
Elaine Bagnall, Chairperson
Resolutions Committee
Authorized for Distribution:
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President
Resolutions Committee OPSEU Convention Policy, Section 4 Terms of Reference
1. Upon receipt of proposed resolutions, where several identical or nearly identical resolutions are submitted, select one of such resolutions as being representative of all, and print only that resolution in the Convention manual, taking care to identify all locals that submitted such resolutions.
2. Examine all proposed resolutions having collective bargaining implications, determine which are specific contract demands (as opposed to general bargaining objectives of the Union,) and to refer such specific contract demands back to the submitting body with the recommendation that they be presented at demand setting meetings.
3. Omit from the Convention manual those resolutions that are submitted contrary to Article 13.8, namely, late resolutions and those submitted without the required accompaniment of signed minutes of the meeting at which they were adopted. Such minutes must contain evidence that a quorum was present and that each resolution was presented and voted upon separately.
4. When preparing the report to Convention, the Committee may check with the originating body when the intent is not clear, so that a resolution can be clarified by changing words but not intent.
5. Combine similar resolutions into one resolution encompassing the spirit of several or prepare composite resolutions which may be the sum of several resolutions (but which may be different from any of the submitted resolutions,) and thus attempt to build the broadest consensus for a complete policy resolution.
6. Divide the resolutions into categories (such as internal, economics, politics, industrial relations, etc.) and within categories, assign priorities on the assumption that there may not be time to deal with all resolutions in every category.
7. Make recommendations to the Chairperson of the Convention on the classification of emergency resolutions. To be classified as “Emergency,” a resolution must deal with a matter that is urgent and important and unexpected.
8. Resolutions submitted that are already OPSEU policy, shall be returned to the submitting body.
Statutory Resolutions
A1
Submitted by the Executive Board
Enabling Motion:
Therefore be it resolved that in compliance with Section 129 of the Corporations Act, the Convention endorse the actions of the Executive Board from the closing of the last Convention until the closing of this Convention.
A2
Submitted by the Executive Board
Enabling Motion:
Therefore be it resolved that in compliance with Articles 26.2 and 28.4 of the Constitution and Section 94 of the Corporations Act, PWC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, be Auditors of OPSEU/SEFPO for the fiscal year January 1, 2022 through to December 31, 2022 and the Executive Board fix the Auditors’ remuneration.
A3
Submitted by the Executive Board
Enabling Motion:
Therefore be it resolved that in compliance with Article 26.2 of the Constitution and Section 97 of the Corporations Act, the Financial Statements for the 12-month period ending December 2021, including the Statement of Financial Position, the Statement of Revenue and Expenditures, the Statement of Fund Balances and the Statement of Cash Flows, together with the Auditors’ report thereon, and all transactions reflected thereby be approved and that the President and First Vice-President/Treasurer be authorized to sign the financial statements on behalf of the Executive Board.
Collective Bargaining
C1
Submitted by Local 571
also submitted by the Greater Toronto Area Council
Therefore be it resolved that where part time, seasonal, temporary, casual, or otherwise precarious employed members are elected to a bargaining team, and they do not have wages to replace during days scheduled for bargaining or caucus meetings, that OPSEU pay them for the equivalent of a full day’s pay at their regular hourly rate.
Education
E1
Submitted by the Region 1 Area Council
Whereas members of OPSEU SEFPO’s equity committees and caucuses are responsible for carrying out this work;Whereas OPSEU SEFPO believes in the importance of promoting equity in communities and workplaces across the province; and
Therefore be it resolved that OPSEU SEFPO provide orientation for all members of its equity committees and caucuses including their alternates, where applicable, so that they have a better understanding of their roles, responsibilities and expectations; and
Be it further resolved that this training also include a component where these members can learn about equity issues within the workplace and society and that the training materials be developed by the Equity Unit in conjunction with the equity committees and caucuses
Be it further resolved that the orientation materials be developed by the Gathering in 2023
Executive Board
EB1
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas The COVID-19 crisis has exposed long-term care as a system in crisis; and
Whereas nearly 4,000 long-term care residents have died so far during the pandemic, a death-toll so high that OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas has demanded a police investigation; and
Whereas for-profit long-term care homes had four times more deaths than publicly- operated homes during the first wave of the pandemic, and given the deplorable conditions in these homes, often stemming from crisis-level understaffing and corner- cutting; and
Whereas the ongoing staffing crisis in long-term care has been worsened because workers are underpaid, overworked and being exposed to greater risks than ever, causing many staff, including PSWs, to abandon their jobs; and
Whereas and a significant portion of the workforce is part-time, forcing staff to work in several locations to earn a living income, which can inadvertently spread viruses and infections; and
Whereas long-term care home inspections have deteriorated over the past two decades, and following the recommendations of Ontario’s Long-Term Care Commission, the Ford government has committed to hire inspectors and return to annual inspections.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO vigorously demand that the Ontario government declare a moratorium on new for-profit long term care homes and immediately begin the process of bringing all current for-profit homes under public ownership and management; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO continues to call on the Ontario government to task Community Colleges to develop an accelerated and fully credentialed PSW training program in order to address the crisis-level staffing shortages in long term care; and
Be it further resolved that OSPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to offer students and/or public colleges financial assistance to ensure students can enroll in the accelerated PSW program tuition-free; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to legislate staff-to-resident ratios; 4 hours of hands-on care per resident, per day averaged by facility and not by region or province; increased wages and benefits for all long-term care workers and the creation of more full-time, permanent jobs.
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO commit to holding the government to account for its commitment to hire enough inspectors to do both proactive, comprehensive annual inspections and reactive inspections in response to complaints and critical incidents, and to ensure that inspectors are empowered to impose meaningful penalties on homes that break the rules.
EB2
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas The COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed the need for increased investment and long-term planning in our public health care system; and
Whereas decades of underinvestment and cuts to health care have now placed our hospitals and our entire health care system in crisis; and
Whereas Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, yet according to the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) was projected to be the least-funded province respect to healthcare per capita in 2021; and
Whereas the crisis of “hallway health care” and massive waitlists continue to get worse as elective surgeries and non-essential medical procedures are postponed due to the pandemic; and
Whereas unanticipated pandemic-related service costs and steep reductions in non- Ministry revenues are the new realities health care settings are having to tackle while trying to care of patients; and
Whereas there have only been piecemeal investments in health care despite the need for long-term capacity planning and investment; and
Whereas in recent years, the Ford government has leaned more heavily on outsourcing testing, medical procedures, and outpatient services to private independent heath facilities specifically private labs and this has been worsened by the pandemic; and
Whereas the damage being done by underinvestment is clear including:
- Ongoing “hallway health care” capacity issues in Ontario hospitals
- Supply chain issues regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), quality, quantities, and appropriate access to it
- Insufficient training, recruitment and retention of medical staff in a variety of fields of medicine which is being compounded by the fact that 50 per cent of the current workforce is eligible to retire in the next five years
- Severe understaffing due to illness, burnout and staff leaving due to untenable circumstances, expectations and
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the provincial government to commit to global health funding increases of at least 5.5 per cent per year, and implement long-term planning to address the mental and physical burnout of frontline health care staff, and establish a third-party organization that collects data to help decision-makers track how many health care workers will be retiring and how many positions will need to be filled over the next five to ten years; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO demand that the provincial government establish a committee, that includes health professionals, to outline a proper health human resources strategy that addresses these shortages of health care professionals, and making medical professions more attractive – for those just starting their careers and for existing hospital professionals looking for a career change, in order to ensure that Ontario’s health care system is strong enough to care for Ontarians throughout the pandemic and beyond; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to encourage and fund more full-time, permanent positions to ensure that health care workers are not forced to take on multiple jobs just to make ends meet, and to fill gaps caused by staffing shortages; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to commit to following the recommendations from the SARS Commission and numerous other reports that recommend better protections for workers.
EB3
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas The COVID-19 crisis has pushed our hospitals beyond the breaking point, unable to deal with surges and outbreaks; and
Whereas decades of underinvestment, amalgamations and privatization forced such deep hospital cuts and closures, they were already reaching the breaking point long before the pandemic; and
Whereas decades of underinvestment have also caused severe staffing shortages, which are now being exacerbated by illness due to outbreaks, severe burnout and staff leaving the hospital sector; and
Whereas the remaining staff are reporting more shifts left unfilled than ever before, forcing them to work well beyond 12-hour shifts, double shifts, and more overtime than they can manage. Increasingly, staff are being redeployed to work in emergency departments, which are dealing with a massive influx of patients; and
Whereas it has been proven that public-private partnerships in hospitals, like the P3 deal at the Brampton Civic Hospital, lessens the quality of healthcare services and removes financial accountability, for double the cost to the taxpayer.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to increase base funding for hospitals by at least 5.5 per cent annually; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to build more publicly- run and properly funded hospitals to address the severe lack of capacity across Ontario,
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to develop a human health resources strategy to address the ongoing and worsening staff shortage crisis, create more full-time, permanent positions for hospital support workers and hospital professionals and ensure that all workers are provided appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the SARS Commission and numerous other reports; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on Ontario’s government to develop a proper contingency plan to deal with hospital outbreaks and improve surge capacity.
EB4
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas recruitment and retention of education workers has been an increasing issue that has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic began; and
Whereas some school boards are hiring unqualified members from the community to work with Ontario’s most vulnerable students; and
Whereas the consequences resulting from depleted qualified casual educations workers lists include:
- Increased violent incidents in the classrooms due to a lack of qualified education workers to provide appropriate programming and support to vulnerable students,
- Increased injuries due to depleted supply lists and no available or unqualified casual/supply education workers when dealing with escalated students, physical transfers, and the like,
- Physical and mental burn out due to education workers filling in for multiple positions at once while attempting to meet the academic, behavioural, emotional and medical support that Ontario’s most vulnerable students
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to develop a province-wide recruitment plan for education workers to address the current staffing crisis; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to increase wages and benefits to both retain current education workers who are overworked and underpaid, and entice new, qualified education workers to apply to positions in Ontario’s public school system; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to create a post- secondary tuition reimbursement program to encourage students to enter the education field.
EB5
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas the Ministry of the Solicitor General is closing the Ontario Monitoring Centre and contracting out GPS monitoring of offenders in the community to a third-party vendor; and
Whereas there are serious implications for accountability, public safety and privacy when a non-government company is tasked with public safety and given access to sensitive data; and
Whereas the Ontario government previously experienced the dire consequences of privatizing correctional services when they contracted out the Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene to a private, for-profit company only to have to make it public again a few years later; and
Whereas Ontario’s correctional institutions and community corrections are both lacking a sufficient number of staff to provide adequate oversight and programming for offenders in institutions and to oversee offenders on parole in the community; and
Whereas the Ontario Public Service Corrections staff currently being hired are fixed- term staff rather than full-time, permanent staff; and
Whereas an increasing number of inmates in provincial correctional facilities experience mental health issues, which can pose risks to themselves and others when in crisis; and
Whereas Ontario’s correctional institutions do not currently have the capacity to meet the needs of inmates who experience mental health issues, resulting in the use of segregation to address those risks; and
Whereas correctional institutions and probation and parole offices were not stocked with proper PPE when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and continue to lack supply of adequate PPE such as fit-tested N95 masks; and
Whereas Ontario’s correctional institutions have had numerous COVID-19 outbreaks and Ontario Public Service Corrections staff regularly come into contact with offenders who are not vaccinated and could potentially be COVID-19 positive; and
Whereas many older jails and rented probation and parole offices have very poor air quality and ventilation.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO demand that the Ontario government reverse course and have all monitoring of offenders in the community carried out by Ontario Public Service Correctional Workers instead of third-party vendors; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to make all new hires full-time, permanent positions rather than fixed-term positions; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to increase mental health services in correctional facilities;
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to re-open secure mental health facilities in order to decriminalize mental illness and provide placement for inmates in crisis to receive mental health treatment from trained, qualified staff; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to supply fit- tested N95 masks for all corrections staff and improve ventilation and air quality in correctional institutions and offices by installing HEPA filters and retrofitting buildings.
EB6
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas the Ford government continues to pursue its damaging agenda to privatize alcohol sales;
Whereas under the guise of the pandemic, the government has loosened the rules governing alcohol sales, massively expanded the number of private outlets where alcohol is for retail sale, and slashed the wholesale discount rate at a cost to provincial revenues of at least $60 million annually;
Whereas thanks to the Ford government’s pro-privatization agenda, 7-Eleven is looking to open bars in its convenience stores thereby endangering the health and safety of children and communities;
Whereas the government has privatized many elements of alcohol distribution including e-commerce, Christmas specialty products; and the unloading, unpalletizing and re-work of product that used to go to LCBO warehouses;
Whereas the years-long effort by successive governments to diminish the important role of the LCBO in alcohol retailing and distribution has resulted in a serious recruitment and retention issue with the consequence that shifts are short-staffed on a regular basis;
Whereas research has shown conclusively that private alcohol sales leads to more alcohol-related harms; and
Whereas alcohol use costs Ontario $5.3 billion annually in health care, lost productivity and criminal justice costs; and
Whereas the LCBO has a long, proud history of responsible alcohol sales that limit harms; and
Whereas the LCBO returns all of its profits to the people of Ontario — $2.39 billion in 2020-21 — and cumulatively, more than $20 billion in the last decade; and
Whereas LCBO profits pay for vital public services that people depend on such as health care, schools and highways.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO demand that the Ford government immediately abandon plans to further privatize alcohol sales and distribution, and begin working on a plan to roll back the privatization that it has already allowed; and
Be it further resolved that that OPSEU/SEFPO do all it can to safeguard the role of the LCBO in protecting public health, raising revenues to help pay for public services, and maintaining decent jobs in our communities.
EB7
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas there is currently a hiring freeze across the Ontario Public Service (OPS) resulting in all new hires to be temporary, despite understaffing in many ministries having reached crisis levels; and
Whereas hiring workers solely on a temporary contract creates an unstable workforce and preventing the OPS to build capacity with employees who are committed to careers in public service; and
Whereas Ambulance dispatch centres run by the Ontario Public Service are experiencing understaffing and retention issues in Ambulance Communications Officer positions, largely due to the pay disparity between OPS Ambulance Communications Officers and comparable positions in other dispatch centres; and
Whereas many OPS Unified members have filed “special case” requests for higher compensation to address the significant gaps in compensation between their wages and comparable positions at other agencies, which continues to be rejected by the employer; and
Whereas low wages, the prevalence of part-time work, lack of pensions and poor benefit entitlements have created retention issues in the social services sector, with an increasing number of workers moving to higher-paid sectors in health and education;
Whereas publicly-funded programs, such as affordable child care, compassionate care and housing, and strong public services are proven to reduce inequality and boost the economy; and
Whereas Ontario’s public colleges have faced chronic underfunding for decades, resulting in an over-reliance on international student fees, which have been experiencing a steady decline in enrolment due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Whereas Ontario’s public college system is a valuable resource to rebuilding our economy and resolving the labour shortages and recruitment and retention crises plaguing our public sector; and
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the massive income inequality in our province, with the richest residents doubling their wealth and profiting from the pandemic while many racialized people, women, and the working class suffered.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the province to hire full-time, permanent staff in every government ministry, with a particular focus on ministries experiencing staffing crises; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to approve the special cases for increased pay for all OPS positions whose compensation has fallen far below comparable positions at other agencies, in order to address retention issues, workload issues, and fair wages for all OPS employees; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to put forward a comprehensive investment plan for building social infrastructure to support Ontarians; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to increase investment in our public colleges, and create a comprehensive, long-term strategy for strengthening Ontario’s post-secondary sector, to prepare workers for the jobs Ontario needs now and in the future; and
Be it further resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO call on the Ontario government to implement a wealth tax to resolve the glaring inequality that the pandemic brought to light, with a focus on directing those tax dollars to building and strengthening public sector services and programs.
EB8
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the right to free collective bargaining; and
Whereas Bill 124 contravenes the Charter by limiting annual wage increases in the public sector to just one per cent, which is less than the 2021 inflation rate of 3.4 per cent; and
Whereas Bill 124 is an especially egregious attack on the collective bargaining rights of women, since women make up a large majority of workers in the public sector; and
Whereas Bill 124 unfairly targets public sector workers, many of whom have been sacrificing their health and providing high-quality service under extraordinary circumstances on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years; and
Whereas recruitment and retention is a major issue in many of our public services, Bill 124 exacerbates this problem at a time when it is urgent to ensure that Ontario’s public services can meet the ever-increasing demand for public services; and
Whereas public sector spending and wages did not cause Ontario’s so-called “financial crisis,” and cutting public sector wages will not solve it.
Therefore, be it resolved that OPSEU/SEFPO continue to demand the immediate repeal of the 2019 Bill 124.
EB9
Submitted by the Executive Board
Whereas COVID-19 has threatened workplace health and safety for all frontline public service workers; and
Whereas OPSEU/SEFPO members have taken extra precautions in their workplaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but additional support from the government is necessary in the wake of new, highly transmissable variants; and
Whereas social distancing is not always possible for OPSEU/SEFPO members worki