OPSEU Local 560
To:	All Members of OPSEU Local 560
From:	OPSEU Local 560 President Ted Montgomery
Date:	April 11, 2000
Subject:	Updates

OPSEU CONVENTION

The annual OPSEU convention was held on April 6, 7, and 8.  Over 1200 attended, with over  800  voting delegates. Several items arose that should be of interest to you.
 

• FUNDS FOR GRIEVANCE ARBITRATION

Delegates were presented with the 1999 financials and the 2000 budget.  OPSEU maintains three separate funds — a general operating fund, an education fund and a strike fund.  Ten percent of dues must, by constitutional requirement, go to the strike fund, which can only be used for that purpose and other related expenditures for those OPSEU members legally barred from striking.

The strike fund is healthy at $20, 581,864,  but the general fund, with revenues of $41,997,606 and expenditures of $45,488,870, incurred a nearly $4.5 million deficit.

Much of this is the result of divestments of government services which drive OPSEU members out of the union.  While members have been cut by about one third, OPSEU costs do not decrease significantly, as OPSEU must increase organizing expenditures to bargain new first contracts for these former members.  Dues can only be collected once such contracts are in place.  Collective bargaining costs do not go down.  In fact, they actually increase as the union must try to negotiate contracts for employees moved from the Ontario Public Service to what is called the broader public service.  OPSEU negotiates over 400 separate contracts. Also, grievances have not gone down but have increased, given the problems encountered by OPSEU members in light of government policies.

Part of the deficit was under "Grievances."  In 1999, the union budgeted $2.7 million and spent $4.7 million.  The 2000 Budget for grievances presented by the Treasurer was $2.8 million.
In 1999, OPSEU halted the scheduling of all College grievances for arbitration after October. Grievance hearings were cancelled because the union had no more money for that purpose.  This year, the union ceased scheduling all College (CAAT) grievances after May, for the same reason — the 2000 budget allocation is already used up!  (Costs have increased significantly because management across the province drags out hearings and uses other delaying tactics.)

Local 560 delegates took the position that, no matter what, OPSEU had to adequately fund grievances.  The union simply must provide support to its members in the face of contract violations.  So, even though the 2000 Budget was showing another general deficit, we put the following motion forward:
Moved by Ted Montgomery, Seconded by Josef Stavroff: "That the budget line ‘Grievances’ be changed from $2,820,000 to $4,820,000."

I urged the delegates to ensure that funding would be made available so that no grievor would be denied a hearing just because the union was unprepared to spend the necessary money.  I argued that this was essential to keep the support of our membership, and to attract new members, and that this was an article of faith that we must never abandon.  We had organized other speakers to support our amendment, and it was carried.

• POSSIBLE DUES INCREASE

On Saturday, there was an effort made by some, including the OPSEU Treasurer and President, to institute a dues increase.  I was able to point out to the delegates that the OPSEU constitution requires that any general increase must be presented at the local level, before it can be brought to a convention.  A dues increase may be necessary, but if so, it must be done in accordance with the constitution, which guarantees that the membership have their say first.
 
• NETWORK FOR BETTER CONTRACTS

The Convention also passed a major policy initiative, "The Network For Better Contracts."  Like the decision to adequately fund grievances, this focuses on achieving better contracts and then protecting them.  Janice Hagan, the Seneca Support Staff Local President, is already involved in the project, as am I, in developing a training curriculum and program for all bargaining teams in the union.

• RESTRUCTURING OPSEU

Lastly, on the convention, is a resolution from our Local to establish a task force that will look at restructuring OPSEU.  Current representation at the Executive Board level is strictly geographic.  The task force will be made up of representatives from the various work sectors represented by the union, and will consider restructuring that takes into account members’ work affiliation, as well as other factors.

You should have noticed in your last pay stub that your local dues have been reduced.  The Local Executive Committee proposed that we reduce the Local 560 dues assessment and establish a system that will maintain our strike/contingency fund at about $750,000.  Dues are reduced to $2.00 per pay from $7.50.  In the event that the fund falls below $700,000, dues would become $7.00 to bring the fund back to $750,000 again.  In the event that the fund fell below $100,000 — which would occur only if we had a strike or lockout — Local dues would be set at $10.00 to replenish the fund.

Each year, the members can assess where we stand relative to the likelihood of needing to use the fund, based on the state of negotiations at that time.  As each Local budget is presented and voted on, members should give attention to whether or not a strike or lockout is likely, how long one might last, and how much total strike pay  should be available per member.  The Executive Committee felt, and the membership at out Annual General Meeting agreed, that $750,000 was a good figure to have in reserve at this time.

Union Local officers are elected every two years, and this is the election year, once again.  The OPSEU Constitution requires that officers of the local be elected by the general membership at a meeting for that purpose.  Only persons elected as stewards for their work area are eligible to stand for local office.
If you are interested in becoming a steward, please contact Josef Stavroff, who is the Chief Steward, or me, and we can tell you what is involved.  Area and campus steward elections will be conducted very soon, so please don’t hesitate to call.
Ted Montgomery, President OPSEU Local 560
 

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