New workers and accident prevention

According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, 50,700 workers under the age of 24 lost time from work after being injured on the job in 2006. Many of these could have been avoided if proper training and supervision were in place and the government had more enforcement in safety laws as part of the work scene in Canada. For our members who are unclassified that is a double edged sword due tot the fact they have to wait for their claims to be approved before seeing a pay cheque.

Many mishaps aren't reported and can have long-term effects and lost time effects. Often new workers don't ask questions, are eager to please and aren't aware of their rights and the health and safety requirements in their workplaces. Also, a lack of on the job experience in accidents, and their outcomes, can contribute to a sense of fearlessness. Safety training in the initial phase of employment should be as important as the training in how to perform the work efficiently. It is the employers' responsibility to ensure that the new worker is trained and evaluated for their ability to do the work before they start working.

As a worker you can participate in your health and safety by informing your committee of concerns, helping in the training of new staff and, ultimately, your right to refuse unsafe work if it exists. It is the province that is responsible for enforcing the laws and fining employers that don't comply with the law, including the compliance that new workers are adequately trained and supervised. Workers, after all, should go home as they arrived.

In solidarity, Emidio.

Weekly update

It' been a few days since I updated and many developments are in the works, namely:

• Locally, we are setting up the dates to go through the rollover agreement and disputes to sign off who is getting rolled over;
• A meeting is set to discuss overcrowding in the Ministry;
• The concerns arising from the threats against staff have been forwarded;
• Preliminary discussions are under way regarding staffing, new hires and overtime levels;
• Proposals have been tabled regarding the large area Vanier staff have to cover for their escorts and the time that it takes to return to the workplace from the hospitals; and,
• The bargaining teams are getting ready as they have been elected.

Many thanks to the stewards who have assisted in the above areas and we will keep you up to date as information comes out.

In solidarity, Emidio.

Region 2 Bargaining Conference

Just a quick note of thanks and to inform our members of the results.

Elected to the unclassified delegation, Ron Scane
Elected to the tech/maintenance delegation, John Kesner
Elected 2nd alternate corrections, Jim Richards
Elected 3rd alternate corrections, Bill Yole
Elected 2nd alternate institutional health care, Ingrid Ricketts
and, finally,

After three rounds of balloting, a three way run for the Central Table occurred and I was eliminated going to the fourth ballot. I gave my support to the eventual winning delegate then stood for 3rd alternate status as a sign of support for our region for the Central table.

It was a great showing from our members and I hope to eventually elect more members to represent us at further events.

Thanks to you all!!

In solidarity, Emidio.

Workplace threats

As you may be aware, we are in a different era when it comes to what people think is inherent in our job. Terrorism and security threat groups need to be addressed.



As a unionist I don't accept that we are supposed to just assume the risk that our job places on us without the employer taking all reasonable precautions under the Health and Safety act to protect us.



Certain events have unfolded and with respect to our member's need for confidentiality I won't discuss the details in this forum, but will state that we are actively involved.



I can share that the Local executive has met with the employer to react to the threat and be proactive toward the future of what might be happening in our workplaces. A number of concerns were raised with the physical structure, the policy surrounding the assessment of a threat, and the communication to the staff of what is occurring and who needs to be notified.



OPSEU's head office is also aware and assisting us in dealing with this issue at the MERC level.



The local executive members who are on the Provincial Health and Safety Committee also shared a conference call with the employer to discuss the matters and to set up an emergency meeting to further discuss the issues. Further details will be forthcoming as they are available.



I also wish to remind members to be aware of your role in the health and safety aspects of what we do. I would recommend some of the following;

• Wait to put your uniform on when you are in the building


• Park in different areas


• Take different routes home and to work


• Leave at different times to get to work


• Add one extra turn to your route to confirm if you are being followed


• Report suspicious activity, don't discount it


• Report threats to the employer and the union so we can act


• Don't discuss your life and co-workers in front of strangers or our clientele


• Be a maximum security proponent, not its' opponent

As always it is up to us to take care of each other.

A favourite saying I have goes like this-

We are the keepers of the kept, but who watches the watch person?

In solidarity, Emidio.

Why Union?

I have been hearing the same dreaded question about why we need unions since I've been active and I think people forget some of the things unions stood behind, such as:

• 2 day weekends, 8 hour days and compressed workweeks;
• shift premiums and overtime/STAT wages;
• building the middle class with living wages, benefits and job security, ;
• job loss packages when companies are downsizing;
• health and safety laws and worker compensation when injured;
• organizing rights and buffering the employees from employers; and,
• universal health care.

It is up to us as union members to reach for higher levels of inclusion.

We are the people doing the work that serves the people.

We are the people who need to fight for a fair share for earnings, benefits and insurance so we can reduce taxation and debt load.

We can build a stronger middle class with financial clout, investment in workplace organizing and smart voting tactics when governments ask for support.

Our kids, current students and the lowest paid in society have the most to benefit from our solidarity as a union.

If you need anymore reason to wonder "why union?" please consider these words

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

In solidarity, Emidio.

Demand set results

On May 20th, 2008 the local meeting was held and the following were the demands forwarded to the bargaining teams as our local top issues:

CENTRAL- classification grievance resolution, vacation entitlements, 10 emergency days, unclassified benefits, and improved pension language. There are also a number of lumped benefit improvement demands to improve coverage and remove fees for other coverage.

UNIFIED- wages, custodial responsibility allowance, and shift premiums.

CORRECTIONS- $75, 000 dollar base pay by the contract end, Factor 75 or early retirement improvements, time and a half weekend shift premium to existing premiums, overtime protocol in contract language, 1 year probationary period then classified status. As well a point system for uniform and dress uniforms was added and parity for recreation officers with correctional officers was tabled.

On June 7, 2008 the members elected at this meeting will attend the Delta Meadowvale to begin electing regional bargaining team members. The members as elected were:

DELEGATES- John Kesner, OPM/Tech; Jodi Wilson, OAD; Ingrid Ricketts, IHC; Ron Scane, unclassified rep; Emidio Casullo, COR; James Richards, COR; Dan Sidsworth, COR; and William Yole, COR.

ALTERNATES- Paul Kesner, OPM/Tech; Rick Sampson, IHC; Roger Guichelaar, unclassified; Shari Archdekin, COR; Fawad Dhami, COR; Phread Longstreet, COR; and Roger Lalonde, COR.

Many thanks to Laura Josephson for her hard work in collating and organizing the results for the Local. Please relay the thanks when you see her.

In solidarity, Emidio.