OPSEU leaders meet in Sudbury to plan a “Perfect Storm” of bargaining for 90,000 Ontario members

MEDIA ADVISORY

SUDBURY –Ontario Public Service Employees Union President Warren (Smokey) Thomas will be in Sudbury May 26 to plan strategy with about 100 OPSEU leaders from across Northeastern Ontario as a “Perfect Storm” of province-wide bargaining gathers for the union.

About 90,000 OPSEU members, working for the 24 Ontario colleges (support staff), the Ontario Public Service (OPS), the LCBO, and dozens of smaller agencies, will be bargaining contracts over the next year.

The Perfect Storm information meeting is one of a series of province-wide meetings intended to bolster solidarity as negotiations get underway over the next few months.

“We call it the Perfect Storm because it is unprecedented in the history of our union to have so many large contracts in play at the same time,” Thomas said.

“For OPSEU, it’s also a perfect opportunity to discuss how we can work together to improve the level of public services available to Ontarians, while creating better working conditions and raising the living standards of our members.”

The Mayor of Sudbury, John Rodriguez, will be on hand to welcome President Thomas and OPSEU members to Sudbury.

Smokey Thomas will be available to meet with the media before the meeting:

Where: Steelworkers Hall, 92 Frood Road, Sudbury

When: May 26, 2008 – 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. (meeting begins at 6:00)

OPSEU represents about 130,000 public employees working in communities across Ontario, including 4,500 in the Sudbury area.