Good afternoon

It was great to see so many of you at the Inside the Fight: OSBCU Information Hour webinar on April 16. By taking the time to stay informed and engaged, you are strengthening our collective power as we move into what will be a challenging round of bargaining.

Did you miss the webinar? Join us for the next session on May 14. We will provide updates on the bargaining priorities and highlight small action you as a member can do to strengthen our fight for change. If you have not already registered, you can sign up here: https://bit.ly/3OMlLVX

Below is a brief summary of the April 16 webinar.

OMERS Reminder

OMERS is one of the most important benefits we have. It represents years of hard work and the promise of a secure retirement. It’s not just another benefit—it’s deferred wages that our members have earned and Unions negotiated.

Our pensions exist because workers fought for them. They were strengthened because unions defended them. And if we want to protect them going forward, we must stay engaged and organized.

Right now, the governance and member representation within OMERS is facing serious challenges. Legislative changes have created new opportunities for government interference and have weakened the balance that once existed.

For decades, OMERS operated under a model where both employers and workers had a meaningful role in decision-making. That balance helped protect the interests of the very members who fund the pension.

What we’re seeing now is a shift away from that model. The move from a Sponsors Corporation to a Sponsors Council, along with expanded government powers, creates a situation where decisions affecting our pensions could be made with less input from the workers who pay into the plan.

That should concern all of us.

CUPE Ontario launched the “We Pay, We Want a Say” campaign to push back and ensure workers continue to have a strong voice in how our pension is governed. But a campaign only works if that message reaches every member.

Shout out to locals that are doing very well – 27, 5555,4156,7575,1734 and 4154

We have 57,000 members but only 7,000 have signed the petition.

We need a lot more because the numbers do matter.

This is where you come in.

We need you to share information, circulate e-actions, and encourage members to get involved. That means talking about OMERS at meetings, distributing materials, and taking the time to explain why this matters.

Because if members don’t speak up, decisions will be made without them.

This campaign is about making sure that the people who pay into OMERS—the workers—continue to have a real voice.

So, I encourage every CUPE member: support the campaign, share the materials and e-actions with your coworkers, and help ensure our voices are heard.

Because when it comes to our pensions, the message is simple:

We pay into OMERS—and we deserve a say in how it’s run.

English:    https://cupe.on.ca/we-pay-we-want-a-say/
Français : https://cupe.on.ca/fr/on-paie-on-decide/

Province-Wide Day of Action – April 29

On April 29, members from OSBCU, along with colleagues in ETFO, OSSTF, AEFO, and OECTA, will all be taking part in a province wide action at their worksites. So, this isn’t just one union — it’s all of us, together. Education unions across the province will be repping their unions colour, ours is purple.

Simple but impactful. A visible show of solidarity – education workers across the province are organized and connected. Time to break out your purple t-shirts and/or other purple items. If your uniform does not allow you to change your clothing consider the following: purple button/sticker, purple lanyard, purple shoelaces, purple nail polish, or purple bandana. Reach out to your local executive and see what they recommend!

Please encourage coworkers to take part and to  take a group photo with colleagues including members from other unions within your schools. Share them with your local, OSBCU and on social media with the #OntEdUnited.

This is the FIRST province wide day of action with the other unions. We want to send a clear message that we are committed to standing TOGETHER.  Our goal is to continue to build pressure and to show unity and we need your help to do this! 

Province-Wide Outreach Day – June 6

Our second province wide day of action is to take place on June 6 with our focus being on connecting directly within our communities – with parents, caregiver and the public. We want to “Paint the Province Purple”, a visible, coordinated activity across the province connecting with our communities and educating them about what is happening in our schools.

These activities are meant to be flexible and may look different from area to area because no one knows your community better than you do! Some examples can include:

• Setting up a small table at a local market or community event to talk with community members about signing the OSBCU petition

• Joining a group of members from your local at a meet up location to knock on doors to speak with people in a neighbourhood.

• Handing out information and talking to parents about the importance of proper funding and staffing in schools.

Most activities will be planned for around two hours and support will be provided. Your local will be sharing more details and how you can get involved.

For us to win the gains our school and members need we need to build connections and support from the community. This is an opportunity for you to step outside the workplace and help build the public support we’ll need in the months ahead.

Bargaining Proposals – Wages

From our bargaining survey, wages were clearly identified as the top priority. Not surprising with the high inflation, economic uncertainty, global instability and the reality of affordability is a real challenge for education workers. Our proposal includes several key pieces:

1 – Wage Grid (Equal pay for Equal Work)

Our idea is simple: if the job is worth the top rate, then everyone doing the job should be paid that rate. All our members are expected to perform the full duties of their role from day one so their pay should reflect that. 

Some members have asked if it’s fair for all members to earn the top rate. Should experience count for something? This is a fair question. Experience does matter, and it is already recognized in other ways in collective agreements: 

• Through seniority, which impacts job security, transfers, and postings 
• Through vacation entitlement, which increases over time 
• And importantly, each additional week of vacation is equivalent to roughly a 2% increase in wages  

We also have a proposal on the table to further improve vacation entitlement, further recognizing experience and time with the board. By collapsing the wage grids we are balancing two things – equal pay for the job itself and fair recognition for long service. 

2 – Casual and Temporary Workers 

OSBCU stands by the position that if you are doing the job, you should be paid the same rate – whether you are permanent, temporary, or casual. Many boards pay their casuals significantly less – often $5 an hour or more below permanent rate – even though they are expected to do the same work. 

Employers use this as a way to save money by keeping positions casual even when there are long-term vacancies. At the same time this causes significant recruitment and retention challenges for casual staff. Main reason being the wages are too low. 

We have real data from locals within OSBCU that an equal rate for causal works have seen better recruitment and better retention. This proposal is about fairness, addressing low wages for precarious workers, and fixing the staffing crisis in our schools. 

This does not take away from permanent employees as they will still have significant advantages such as – benefits, sick leave, and job security. 

3 –  Hybrid Wage

Last round of bargaining we proposed a flat increase model – everyone received the same dollar amount. This time we are proposing a hybrid model. Which means every member would receive either:

• Flat increase, or
• Percentage increase 

Whichever is better for them. In every case, members receive whichever option increases their wages the most. Flat increasers are important because they prevent a wage gap from growing but because a gap already exists, the percentage ensures that our top wage earner member still see an increase above inflation. 

4 –  COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) 

COLA is designed to protect wages when inflation rises faster than negotiated increase. The idea is straightforward: If inflation is higher than the wage increase, there’s an additional adjustment to close that gap. This idea is more complex with hybrid wages but still possible! We have developed a model that maintains fairness of the hybrid approach while also protecting members from falling behind inflation.

New Legislation – OSBCU Response

The Ford government is stripping power from elected school board trustees and handing it to unelected executives.

“This is a blatant power grab,” said Joe Tigani. “It has nothing to do with student learning.”

At a time when schools are facing severe underfunding, staffing shortages, and rising violence, this government is choosing control over solutions. 

👉 See full statement. The OSBCU Condemns Ford Government Power Grab Over School Board Governance – OSBCU  

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