OPSEU LOCAL 719

Brothers and Sisters of Local 719,

The year 2009 has been for me one of the most trying and difficult years in my Union life. After the job-saving exercise of the previous Fall with numerous meetings, trips, phone calls and the like I was thrust into the contract negotiations. Management showed at the outset that their mandate was not negotiation but attacking the very integrity of the Correctional Bargaining Unit. The so-called negotiations begun in October 2008 brought us into the New Year under a dark cloud. We came into this year without a contract and what looked to be a sure-fire strike campaign. We had a voluntary ban on overtime and asked all actors to step down. Finally, we averted what looked like a possibly long and bitter strike with the promise of joint co-operation in the matter that was of the most concern - attendance and sick time use. The entire ratification hinged on this expected opening of dialogue and the spirit of co-operation of the Union through MERC.

I thought I might have time to decompress but no.  A mere three weeks after ratification we were once again kicked by management with the announcement that Corrections would no longer be allowed to bank Compensating TimeOff (CTO)as  management decided to withdraw from the CTO agreement. This outrageous action did not go without a struggle. Corrections MERC advised all Local Presidents that a fight was what management wanted and that we would oblige. The resulting job actions and threats to withdraw from Compressed Work Week Agreements were initiated and after a short and bitter campaign management used what tools they could to fight back. The resulting court actions forced us to cease the struggle as it was occuring but forced management to reopen the lines of communication. What did management do? They issued proposed memorandums of agreement that would have forced us to do their bidding, allow 'scabs' and still afford management the luxury of forcing us to be removed from the CWWA's. Thankfully MERC managed to negotiate a settlement that while not regaining our CTO agreements at least stopped management from acting in a punitive and vexatious manner. The upshot of that settlement was that the Union agreed to suspend any job actions, including the resumption of staff accepting overtime shifts and we would support and even condone bargaining unit staff accepting acting-management positions.

Then came August 10th and the unveiling of arguably the worst attendance support program ever foisted upon us.

Management was supposed to, by virtue of the Collective Agreement, design and implement a new attendance support program with the input and co-operation of the Union. There were no meetings, memos or invitations issued about this program. Management arbitrarily initiated and launched this program without any input from MERC whatsoever.

All this leads me to ask - What next??

We have been kicked and repeatedly bullied by management and yet they ask the bargaining unit members to keep things running smoothly in their jails. They insist that we continue working all the overtime to make sure the boat doesn't get rocked too much. After all the battering and bruising we received they insist that we provide acting managers so as their ranks can get time off with their families in these difficult times.

I don't know how other bargaining unit staff feel right now but I can tell you that I am sick and tired of getting bullied. If every other bargaining unit member would evaluate the events and situations that have developed over the last little while and come to their own, similar, realization perhaps we could then effect some positive change.

For the record - I have not worked any voluntary ovetime since last Fall. Acting managers do nothing for us and I do not support or condone their self-serving actions. Perhaps if enough folks took an individual stance of their own and acted upon it accordingly, we could look forward to a bit brighter future.

My thoughts and opinions only.

In Solidarity,

Glen Archer - President, OPSEU Local 719