Ontario government reaches deal with OPSEU

Queen’s Park has reached a tentative three-year deal with 35,500 members of Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

Thestar.com
Oct. 6, 2015
By Robert Benzie and Richard J. Brennan

Queen’s Park has reached a tentative three-year deal with 35,500 members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

The settlement with public servants, including administrative support staff, probation and parole officers, social workers and workers in information technology systems, averts the possibility of labour strife.

Treasury Board president Deb Matthews said Tuesday that the accord is “a net zero and is consistent with the fiscal plan” of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cash-strapped government.

But sources told the Star it is in fact a zero in the first year, a one-time one per cent lump sum in January, followed by a 1.4 per cent raise.

In exchange, OPSEU members’ only major concession was giving up termination pay. Their previous collective agreement expired last Dec. 31.

“I am pleased we have reached this tentative agreement with OPSEU. This agreement shows that when partners commit to work together to negotiate, the result can be both fair and reasonable to our employees and consistent with our fiscal plan,” the minister said in a statement.

“We remain confident that we can reach an agreement with the correctional bargaining team that balances the interests of our employees with the need to provide sustainable and affordable public services,” said Matthews, referring to the outstanding dispute with OPSEU jail guards.

In a separate statement, OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas praised his members.

“This tentative settlement could not have been reached without the tireless efforts of our bargaining team and the unwavering solidarity of OPS members across the province,” said Thomas.

“I also want to acknowledge the assistance of mediator Gerry Lee in helping the parties arrive at a tentative settlement. We look forward to getting back to the corrections table.”

Insiders, however, warn the corrections workers are gearing up to hit the bricks.

The provisional deal with OPSEU comes after the province had negotiated agreements with teachers at Catholic, French-language and public secondary schools.

Contract talks are continuing with public elementary teachers and unionized school workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.