Bargaining conference builds support

Over 70 members gathered in Ottawa on a cold weekend in January to plot the course for CEIU Ontario in the current round of bargaining. The chairperson of the Ontario bargaining committee, Tom Rogers, welcomed participants and told them that “It is time to turn up the heat on Treasury Board and this weekend is our chance to start doing that”.

The conference, organized by the Ontario region collective bargaining committee, had a number of events including a demonstration on Parliament Hill to demand that Treasury Board return to the table for serious negotiations. Participants worked hard to develop plans to mobilize members in support of their bargaining teams.

Jeannette Meunier-McKay, National President, opened the conference. She emphasized the importance of collective bargaining for the union and the value of collective bargaining conferences for developing the support needed for solid gains at the table. She challenged the delegates at the conference to develop and implement a plan for this round which would ensure that CEIU Ontario once again led the PSAC in the effort to get a good contract.

The action plan, unanimously endorsed by the delegates to the conference, charged local leaders to put strike committees in place by mid-February and to participate in the week of solidarity scheduled by the PSAC for the week of February 9. To ensure success, the collective bargaining committee will contact each local to offer its support and that of the Toronto CEIU office.

At the end of the conference, there was a sense of confidence among participants. Connie Lento (Local 566, Sault Ste Marie) summed up the mood: “I want to go back and get my local supporting our team. I really feel we can do it this time.”