Questions from our first Q&A!

On Tuesday, October 29th, the “Grow Strong Through Change” team hosted a Q&A session for members of OPSEU local 596. The goal was to provide the membership with an informal space to discuss our campaign priorities and answer any questions members might have to each candidate. Below are some of the questions we addressed for those who were not able to join us.

What are the “Grow Strong Through Change” slate campaign priorities?

BE MORE EFFECTIVE - We are leaders who will empower stewards and local members by streamlining administrative procedures and establishing policies that work.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT - The local is only as strong as its members. We can do more if we work together to accomplish the goals that are most important to our members. This will be accomplished mostly through events, education opportunities and committee initiatives. We will also do a better job engaging and representing Unit 2 members and over 500 members who are Research Assistants.

NO UNION MEMBER LEFT BEHIND - Budget cuts have already led to layoffs and there will be more to come. It is our duty to protect members proactively by pushing back against management who would rather hire MAC or contract employees to do our jobs because they are easier to let go. We can do better by increasing our investment in arbitration supports and letting management know that we are not happy with these trends.

Should all members have access to the listserv?

If elected, we would like to create a communications committee so members can come up with proposals for sharing information. It is our goal to have transparent and consistent communications with the membership. We hope to achieve that through a monthly newsletter and up-to-date website, as well as other initiatives directed by the members.

How is our platform different from the current leadership?

We seek to lead as a team to share the workload and contribute to the union. Those of us with skills, talents, and a desire to get involved can be a great resource for our fellow members. Instead of having one or two people do all the work, we will create structures that empowers stewards and other members to get things done that matter to them. This requires organization and a culture of trust which we will build from the ground up.

One of the first main changes we will enact is to have a pre-set timetable for regular LEC meetings in accordance with the constitution and work with OPSEU HQ to make sure that the governing authority of the local is properly invested. We will also make sure that minutes from those LEC meetings are disclosed within 14 calendar days from the meeting.

We will also plan for the officer core of the LEC (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary) to meet every month to discuss proposals that need to be tabled at a future LEC meeting. We will formalize our bylaws to make sure that the other elected positions are incorporated into our local governance and are invited to attend monthly officer meetings. We will empower the officer core and the LEC to solicit and debate proposals and finalize them prior to being sent to a GMM.

We will give the 20-21 Secretary access to the OPSEU listserv. Unit Stewards should have access to smaller listservs that are representative of their units. For example, the unit Stewards of FCAD should have a list of all OPSEU employees in FCAD. We will work with CSS to have these setup so our unit Stewards can hold micro-meeting with their teams and address issues collectively.

We will invest more heavily in training our stewards and setting up a system for new stewards to shadow those with more experience until they are ready to take on cases on their own.

We want members to be able to receive feedback from members and find ways to support you in building your own initiatives to improve the local.

We would like to create an electronic system for voting in accordance with the OPSEU constitution and supported by local bylaws to improve ease of access for our membership and and maintain the integrity of that process.

We will establish accessible, transparent, and consistent communications about the union’s activities with the membership as well as a resources list online with important information.

How did we organize as a slate?

Sarah brought us together with her vision for a new union leadership that spoke to our common desire to work in a collaborative team that would better serve the membership. She knew that Aneesh and Elizabeth were already on the local’s leadership team and that they were fighting for change and together they started formalizing priorities. They brought Shira, Maricruz and Deborah onto the team based on shared values and demonstrated skills and involvement in union activities. Strategically, it made sense to have representation from across the university, representing different cultural backgrounds, age groups, personality types and skills.

How can other members become candidates to this year’s election?

You can check the OPSEU Local 596 Website for instructions on the nomination process for the election.

How can other members have access to the membership’s email for their own campaign’s promotion?

We recommend using your own networks to reach out and spread the word. Otherwise you can look at the online directory, the Green pages, and White pages to find people’s contact information.

When is the election day?

Election day is November 25th. It will take place at Kerr Hall West, Upper-Level Gym, from 12 - 1pm.

What if not all of you are elected? Would you still pursue your positions individually or would you only work as a team?

We hope to be elected as a team since we know we can get a lot done together. We will however be elected individually and are absolutely willing to do our best and work with anyone else who the members elect.

Prior to our Q&A session on Tuesday, we encouraged the membership to submit questions about our platform. Below are the questions we received and our answers.

What are your views about the ratio of MAC employees to OPSEU employees. Why do you feel that way?

In recent times we have seen a growth in the number of MAC employees but the ratio remains skewed to the benefit of OPSEU employees. There are more OPSEU employees than MAC employees on campus. Nevertheless, we are seeing that a lot of our higher band OPSEU admin jobs are being converted to MAC. We will always put our members and OPSEU jobs interests first. Additionally, a trend has been noticed that more non-union casual employees have been hired to replace or supplement OPSEU work. We should push back on the use of non-Union casual employees doing OPSEU work.

When representing an OPSEU member in a meeting that includes HR and you reach an impasse with no agreement, how would you handle that situation? How can both the OPSEU member and management/HR win? In other words, if there is no 'win-win' situation, what can be done for the OPSEU member?

There is a clear grievance escalation mechanism in our Collective Agreement. If the union and HR reach an impasse - then we are required to take it to the final stage which is binding Arbitration where a neutral 3rd Party will be involved in generating a binding agreement between the disputing parties. Usually this will lead to a compromised middle ground where both parties can take away something. In other cases the Arbitrator may rule in favour of the Union member entirely OR management entirely. It is our job as stewards to work with you to build a stronger case than management.

Do Ryerson OPSEU members pay too much in union dues, not enough, or just enough? For example, is that extra $2. fee deduction for union reasons necessary or would the local be fine without it...? Any other examples to support your answer?

One of Aneesh’s first acts, if re-elected as the Treasurer, is to do an audit of the union dues that we pay to the local. At this time, our operating budget is clearly outlined and we aim to have a balanced budget in each fiscal year. The 2$ union fee currently is utilized to support our operating budget and 50% of the VP Chief Steward Unit 1 salary.

Should this local have a newsletter / electronic newsletter? If so, would you be in charge of this project? If not, how would you best communicate important news/issues with the local? (ie. the long e-mails every once in a while, meetings, current website?)

Yes, this local should have a newsletter. If elected as VP, Technology and Communications and Secretary, Deborah’s plan is to keep the membership updated about what the executive committee has been working on, as well as what they’re planning for the upcoming months. There are also educational materials about how unions function, how people can engage with the union, what are the membership benefits, and etc. that she would like to create communications around if elected.

I don't know a lot about this position (Outreach). What external group/organization would you first reach out to and why? What internal group/department, etc would you first reach out to and why?

How will you perform outreach? Who will you reach out to? What are your plans for soliciting member engagement?

Shira already does a lot of outreach as a volunteer for the union on the Learning Advisory Committee, the Social Committee, and in organizing the Wellness workshops that were requested by members. She would like to expand this work to do more engagement internally and encourage members to launch their own initiatives and committees about matters that are important to them. For example, it seems to make sense that members would be interested in supporting students when they strike against budget cuts. Another idea would be to launch a mentorship program so that members who have been around for awhile can welcome and support new members. She is excited to hear from members about their own ideas and ways they’d like to create outreach opportunities for the community to come together to build stronger engagement and activism.

Externally, she will continue to reach out to other organizations and unions from whom we can learn, such as AMAPCEO, CUPE, CESAR, etc. She would also like to build a stronger relationship with OPSEU HQ and our staff representatives and regional office and encourage members to also get involved at other levels of union involvement.

James's recent e-mail included concern about the security of having an open union office. Do you agree that the union office should close its doors and keep out all union members as some members are or have episodes where they become emotional & angry? As I work in an office where the door is unlocked, and upset faculty, staff, applicants & students (etc...) come into the office from time to time, should I be concerned about an open office also?

Should there be security - YES (closed caption cameras and panic buttons). Should the door be closed - NO.

Will you support an open union door policy? 2. At one point, the local's listserve email was open to all members, even descenters, or members who were opposed to the direction the local was taking. I would like to see that line of communication re-opened, so that we as members can communicate openly with one another, without gate-keeping. Of course the local's admin should have an official email account; but I disagree that the messaging should solely be top down, and vetted solely by those on the executive. Will you support an open communication platform that all local 596 members can contribute to?

We would open this decision to discussion and leave it up to members whether or not they would like to participate in this way. We believe in opening doors not closing them. We can work towards a safe work environment and still be welcoming.

In my most recent interactions with you, you did not communicate in a timely fashion. I understand that timely communication is difficult, when you're working full time, and have other responsibilities. However, in your role as VP, will you aim to respond within a reasonable time period, even with just a phone call to let the member know you've received the message and are thinking about a response / solution? 2. Will you listen to what members want, find out what's possible, what other locals have been able to accomplish, and proceed from a position of strength?

If Elizabeth is elected to be VP, she will be able to make members’ needs her first priority and respond more quickly. For volunteers on the executive like her, it can be difficult to get everything done, especially if we have a front-line role that leaves us little time to respond to emails. She also looks forward to working with a team who can help respond to members requests as they come up in a quick and effective way so that she can focus on the tasks in her portfolio like strengthening the team of stewards.

Will you be open and transparent with the budget, and with opportunities connected to the budget. Clearly outlining our spending and opportunities, so that all, not just some members are aware of the possibilities for engagement would be fair and progressive.

YES, it is Aneesh’s intention for the TARs reports and the passed Budget to be accessible via a members only secured website in the future. He believes in full transparency (to the point of not violating privacy laws) and will work towards making the treasury exactly that. The most important resource to accomplish that is a President and VP-Chief Steward who will not block progress and transparency. He believes Sarah and Elizabeth to be those people who will welcome change, and be open to greater transparency and accountability.

Communications and secretary duties are both quite heavy. I've done both, and so I know. Unless of course, it's being done in a half-hearted way. Will you form a team/ committee to help you communicate effectively with the membership; and share local info in a transparent and structured way.

Yes, communications and secretary are heavy duties. There are many communications professionals within the OPSEU community and many members that, if interested, can help in that regard as well. Deborah’s goal is to keep transparency and consistency in the union’s communications. As we start to share more we will need more hands working on different projects.She is excited to welcome as many members as possible to help us in our communications.

What are your plans for the roles EDI and Health and Safety Coordinator? How will you do better than your predecessor?

If elected, Maricruz would have monthly meetings with the Joint Health & Safety Committee at Ryerson to bring OPSEU members concerns forward. Additionally, we would build a tool for reporting, feedback and follow up to better serve your individual interests.

A review of initiatives brought by LEC so far would be done to vision what type of health & safety initiatives need to be brought forward, and collaborations with Ryerson HR, faculties, departments, etc. would be considered including mental wellness activities. Regular reports would also be available at each GMM as well as through other communications (e.g. newsletter).

Maricruz will work closely to build upon the initiatives that Elizabeth Mobeen began, who is running for VP-Chief Steward Unit 1. If elected, she wants to set up a system to allocate funding for PD opportunities as many departments cut their PD funding due to budget cuts from the government.

Additionally, it is important to do an EDI environmental scan of our local, and see the identities that are being represented. Maricruz would invite members to submit questions and concerns, and encourage their involvement in marginalized community events and activities. She would, with Outreach, set and achieve targets for support and EDI deliverables.

In her role as a Mentoring Facilitator, Maricruz supports students in exploring their identity and connect with other members of their community for them to find a sense of belonging on campus. She believes the same brave space needs to be provided to members to connect with other members of their communities at Ryerson that impacts their wellbeing.

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