Speech by National President to CEIU Ontario Collective Bargaining Conference

Thank you for inviting me to address the Ontario Collective Bargaining Conference. From the agenda, I can see that Tom and his committee have put together an exciting (although perhaps chilly) conference.

CEIU national helps sponsor these conferences across the country because we believe that the collective bargaining process is central to the union.

• It is a process that lets us determine what happens in the workplace;
• It is a process that lets us determine the compensation we take home to our families at the end of the day;
• It is a process that lets us be heard by our employer.

The negotiation process is frustrating – Treasury Board as an employer makes it even more so. Anyone who has sat on a bargaining team will tell you that. Their arrogance, their contempt for you as workers, is obvious. They will delay, delay, delay because they believe that the union does not represent its members. They believe that they know what you want better than your union representatives. They believe that you will accept whatever they offer.

We hold these conferences to teach Treasury Board a lesson. We support local action in the workplace to teach Treasury Board a lesson. We support a strong strike mandate to teach Treasury Board a lesson. And what is that lesson?

• That we as a union support our bargaining team;
• That we want a fair contract;
• That we’ll do what is necessary to get it.

But what of this round of bargaining. Over this weekend, others will update you on the process and the Alliance strategy for the future. I want to take a bit of time to express my indignation at what this government is trying to do in this round. I’m sure you share this indignation. Quite frankly, it is appalling that the employer would call up last week to cancel bargaining meeting scheduled for this week. Their excuse – they have no mandate. What a colossal waste of time. If they don’t have a mandate now, what were they doing for the last year? Why were they meeting with us if they couldn’t settle anything? What took them so long to realize they didn’t know what they were doing?

Quite frankly, brothers and sisters, it’s all lies. They have a mandate, they have a bargaining team BUT it doesn’t suit their plans. And to this delay, we must respond. We cannot let the employer act this way. Each time they do, it is a test. It is a test of the union and the test is this:

• Does the union have the will to respond? And
• Does the union have the ability to respond?

Each time we fail the test, the employer confirms its suspicion that we won’t provide much opposition and that a contract on the employer’s terms will be easier to get. We must respond — this time and every time.

We must return to our workplaces on Monday with plans to respond. I know that each local has a different tradition around bargaining and that each local is at a different level of preparedness. This means that there will be some variation in the response from locals, but we need an overall plan that is recognized and respected by all. We need to hold each other accountable for the tasks assigned and support each other in carrying out the plan. Developing that plan is part of the work of this conference and we can’t leave without it.

There is a lot at stake in this round of bargaining. We need a solid pay increase, both for older members concerned about their pensions and younger members struggling to meet everyday expenses. We need improved job security provisions, especially in light of what the Martin government may have in mind for the delivery of government services. And that’s not the end of it. I agree with Walter Reuther, the founder of the United Auto Workers union, when he said “This union is about more than another nickel in the paycheck.” We are looking for protection for whistleblowers, improved language on Religious and Cultural Observance and leave with pay for spousal union. There is a lot at stake in this round and we have to do well.

As your national president and as a member of CEIU from Ontario, I call on you to insist on a plan of action from this conference so Ontario can once again lead CEIU and PSAC toward a decent contract.