COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
posted July 22, 2010

From: OPSEU Communications Department
Sent: July 22, 2010 12:13 PM
Subject: Message from OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas

July 22, 2010

Dear friends,

As you know, leaders from several unions and public sector employer groups met on Tuesday, July 20 with Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, at his invitation. The subject of the meeting was what he calls “compensation restraint.” I call it what it is: cuts to wages and working conditions for hardworking public employees.

For the most part, the two-hour session was little more than a staged media event. Almost everything the Minister said had already been announced in the March 25 Budget.

For non-union workers, the McGuinty Liberals are imposing two years of zero wage increases. For unionized workers, the Liberals are refusing to fund wage increases, for two years, in new collective agreements as they are negotiated. This restraint applies to all bargaining units where the province pays compensations costs, whether directly or indirectly. It also applies, we are told, to all compensation costs, not just wages.

All this is nothing new. However, the Minister proposed two things that we had not heard before.

First, he said he would like to meet with unions and employers to discuss ways to implement his plan to cut pay and benefits. Second, he asked unions and employers to stop sending outstanding bargaining issues to arbitration.

On the first point, OPSEU has agreed to meet with the government on August 9. Based on what I saw Tuesday, I doubt that the Liberals are interested in meaningful consultation. I doubt that they are interested in anything you could call negotiations at a central level. I suspect that they just want us to help them cut our members’ wages and benefits. We will do nothing of the kind.

We will inform you of developments as the overall picture becomes clearer.

On the second point, the right to send outstanding bargaining issues to arbitration is part of normal collective bargaining. It is protected under applicable law and, ultimately, by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and we will defend it by any means necessary. Nonetheless, some employers may now believe they have the right to refuse to go to arbitration. If you are at the bargaining table and it happens to you, your staff negotiator has been instructed to contact his or her Supervisor immediately and we will take the appropriate action.

I want to be very clear: If you are in bargaining now, or two years from now, the government’s plans should not affect your determination to bargain for your members. Collective bargaining is our number one strategy for protecting and improving the lives of our members. As a leader at the bargaining unit, local, sector, or division level, your job is to do your part to make sure your members get the best contract possible. In the words of one Executive Board Member, bargaining teams should not be afraid to “go for it.”

Right now OPSEU has well over 100 units in bargaining, or close to it. If you are in bargaining, I urge you to work with your members, your sector, and your OPSEU regional leadership to bring home the best agreement possible in these challenging times.

Do not assume that your members must accept zeros. Do not assume you must restrict your bargaining to 'non-monetary' items. The history of the labour movement is filled with employers who cried that the cupboard was bare. I believe we can make progress, even in tough times.

How do we do it? Simple: No matter what the bargaining climate, we negotiate strong contracts when our members are prepared to back their bargaining teams all the way.

Members will do this when they know that their cause is just. As our news release yesterday points out, our cause is just. OPSEU members did nothing to create the economic meltdown that caused the provincial deficit. It is absolutely unfair to single out a group of people to pay for that deficit just because we happen to be public employees. It is even more unfair that high-income individuals will not pay a penny extra towards that deficit.

And don’t forget that profitable corporations are getting massive tax breaks. Based on their expected profits of $20 billion this year, Canada’s Big Six banks will see their Ontario corporate income taxes fall by at least $200 million this year alone. Why should our members pay for these useless tax breaks?

It is absolutely outrageous that the McGuinty Liberals aim to cut wages and cut jobs at the same time. Public services will suffer. The families and communities we serve will suffer as well. Restraint will undermine our economic recovery, too, at a time when households and communities need every dollar they can find.

On our conference call Tuesday night, the OPSEU Executive Board was very clear that this fight is a fight against bad public policy. When it is your turn at the table, do not hesitate to bargain aggressively on behalf of OPSEU members. If members are willing to strike to get what they need, do not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary.

In solidarity,

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President

Ontario Public Service Employees Union