OFL employees demand their office be checked for concealed cameras

Traumatized Ontario Federation of Labour employees are demanding a complete of the office for electronic bugs.

Thestar.com
Sept. 15, 2015
By Richard J. Brennan

The discovery of a camera hidden in an exit sign at the Ontario Federation of Labour has prompted shaken employees to demand a complete electronic sweep of their office, union insiders say.

Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised about other cameras contained in what appear to just be smoke detectors in public areas of the building, partly owned by the OFL.

One OFL insider, who asked not to be identified, described the discovery of the hidden camera in the exit sign in the reception area of the OFL office in Toronto as “traumatizing.” The discovery was first reported by the Star in August.

The Star has learned the demand for an office sweep is included in a grievance filed by the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), the union representing the employees. The grievance is scheduled to go to arbitration on Oct. 8.

Another OFL employee, who also requested anonymity, said the call for a sweep includes computers and phones. The grievance does not specifically mention the cameras found in what appeared to be smoke detectors in the public area of the building.

Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, said the continuing “sideshow” at the OFL is an “embarrassment” to the entire labour movement and underscores the need to clean house.

“The best thing to do with a grievance is to deal with it quickly and get the issues behind you. By not dealing with the issue it will continue to fester,” Dias told the Star.

“This is not just an embarrassment to the OFL, it is an embarrassment to the labour movement ... the best thing for the labour movement is to put in a whole new (executive) team and start fresh with the OFL ... the whole thing has become a sideshow,” he said.

Dias, who has publicly called for OFL president Sid Ryan to be replaced, is supporting Chris Buckley, a Unifor rep, for president.

Ryan, who provided an email statement in response to questions from the Star, declined to speak to Dias’ comments or the grievance. He confirmed in August that a grievance had been filed with respect to the hidden camera.

“As for matters pertaining to an outstanding union grievance, it would not be appropriate to comment on a matter that is before an arbitrator,” Ryan said in an email statement to the Star, which tried several times unsuccessfully to reach Ryan or his spokesperson Joel Duff by phone.

Ryan has consistently insisted he knew nothing about the camera hidden in the exit sign in the OFL office, which was discovered by a staff member in July. He previously told the Star that he had been told that there were other cameras installed in the building for security reasons.

According to the union insider, the cameras contained in what appear to be smoke detectors in the public area of the building were also found by an employee in July.

Although he said he did not previously know about those cameras, Ryan now defends the placement of cameras in the public areas of the building, which is own by OntFed Building Company Ltd., a corporation that includes the OFL and major union affiliates. Ryan is also president of OntFed.

Ryan stated in an email statement that “every security camera in the OFL building is located in a public area where no one would have the expectation of privacy, and each security camera is trained on an entrance, a stairwell or an elevator.”

“They are not, and have never been, used to monitor or discipline staff of the OFL or the OntFed building. These security cameras were installed on the advice of police because of persistent situations involving intruders who were harassing staff of the building and because of break-ins and thefts in the building,” he said.

Patty Clancy, a staff representative for COPE, declined to discuss any details of the grievance, but the OFL insider told the Star that the request for an electronic sweep is part of the concerns the union has with what has been described by insiders as a “toxic” work environment.

Employees, according to an OFL insider, say the discovery of a camera hidden in an exit sign in the reception area of the OFL in July was bad enough, but then it was learned that there were at least two more cameras in the building - not the office - that appeared to be smoke detectors.

According to sources, OFL officials have so far refused to go along with electronic sweep, arguing that it is far too expensive.

Buckley, who running against Ryan for the president’s position, said if an electronic sweep clears the air then he would support it.

“I was the president and this issue, as serious as it is, (arose) then one would think there would be full co-operation with the union in order for this issue to be resolved,” Buckley said.

Following the discovery of the exit sign camera on July 7, Nancy Hutchison, the OFL secretary-treasurer, wrote a memo to OFL executive board members regarding the results of a preliminary investigation she conducted.

“Staff members were visibly upset and distraught as a result of the discovery of a concealed surveillance camera, which they had no knowledge of in their workplace,” wrote Hutchison.

“Many of the federation staff are now experiencing anxiety and stress due to this discovery.

One member left work” and was “unable to continue working” due to a “loss of privacy, trust and feeling of being violated,” stated Hutchison, who has repeatedly refused to speak to the Star about her ongoing investigation.