Posted on

OLG Rideau Carleton Rally to Queen’s Park Results in a Return to the Bargaining Table

OLGBackToBargain

Following the recent rally to Queen’s Park by locked-out workers from OLG Rideau Carleton Raceway, the employer has agreed to come back to the bargaining table.

Since the event at Queen’s Park, the union has learned that a return to the bargaining table with a conciliator is scheduled for March 30, 2016.

Doug Marshall, president of the Union of National Employees, is cautiously optimistic about the next meeting between the union and the OLG.

“Let’s hope that, unlike last time, the employer comes to the table with a mandate to settle and not to repeat the same ultimatum that it has made since December 16th,” said Marshall. “We are hopeful that the increased involvement of the Ministry of Labour for Ontario signals an improved chance of reaching a collective agreement. It is time that the OLG end the lockout and reach a fair settlement so that these hard-working employees can return to work.”

The workers were locked out on December 16th, 2016 and have been left out in the cold for over thirteen weeks.

 

 

 

Posted on

Locked-out Slots Workers take the fight to Queen’s Park

OLGQueens

Last Wednesday, locked-out workers from OLG Rideau Carleton Raceway piled into a bus at 2:30am to make the lengthy trek to the Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park in Toronto. The group and its allies, which included representatives from Unifor and the Ontario Federation of Labour, participated in a press conference and rallied enthusiastically outside both the legislature and OLG headquarters.

“This was a very successful event,” said Doug Marshall, president of the Union of National Employees. “It was great to see members energized by the trip and take their fight where Kathleen Wynne could no longer ignore their message.”

The 124 employees have been locked out since December 16th, 2009 and their employer, backed by Wynne’s Ontario Liberals, has refused to withdraw its ultimatum that it would not bargain unless we accept a continued wage freeze and the removal of the pension plan from the collective agreement. More recently, OLG also began the process of hiring scab workers instead of bargaining in good faith.

The locked-out workers continue to work hard while on the picket line. Their website http://www.psacrideaucarleton.com/ contains a great collection of videos and photos from last week’s trip.

You can also check out photos on the PSAC-NCR and Ontario Federation of Labour FlickR feeds here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/psacontario/albums/72157663397672473

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ontariofedlabour/albums/72157665506118162

Posted on

International Day of the Francophonie

JourneeDeLaFrancophonie375

There are more than 220 million francophones in 5 continents

We invite all members of the Union of National Employees to mark the International Day of the Francophonie, March 20, with members in your region.

Here is a list of different

Here is the list of the various associations in your province from coast to coast, to coast.

Prince Edward Island
Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin
http://ssta.org/index.php?lang=fr

New Brunswick
Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick
http://sanb.ca/accueil.aspx

Nova Scotia
Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse
http://www.acadiene.ca/

Alberta
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta
http://www.acfa.ab.ca/index-main.html

British Columbia
Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britanique
http://www.ffcb.ca/

Manitoba
Société franco-manitobaine
http://www.sfm.mb.ca/

Nunavut
Association des francophones du Nunavut
http://www.afnunavut.ca/

Ontario
La présence française en Ontario
http://ontario400.ca/histoire-de-lontario-francais/

Québec
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste
http://ssjb.com/

Saskatchewan
Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
http://www.fransaskois.sk.ca/

Newfoundland and Labrador
Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et Labrador
http://www.francotnl.ca/francophonie-terre-neuve-et-labrador-136-fftnl.php

Yukon Territory
Association franco-yukonnaise
http://www.afy.yk.ca/secteurs/main/fr/index.php?site=afy

Votre Comité des francophones,
Syndicat des employées et employés nationaux

 

 

Posted on

Empowerment on International Women’s Day

IntWomensDay

By Hayley Millington

Canada’s theme for the 2016 International Women’s Day (IWD) is Women’s Empowerment Leads to Equality. On a global scale, the United Nations (UN) calls for “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. You may question the validity of this or wonder if the goal itself is too lofty. Despite one’s feelings of apprehension, I can say that the goal is an achievable one and unequivocally state that gender equality is a goal worth accomplishing.

Empowerment on its own merit is an essential component to achieving equality amongst the sexes. Empowerment also allows the female of our species to better attain goals that they set for themselves as well as enable them to take the helm of their individual lives whilst becoming positive contributors to their societies at large. Women and girls embracing empowerment means that better choices can be made that will allow their needs and those of their families to be met.

The Status of Women in Canada states that Empowerment includes: “Having access to education, getting involved in the community, becoming financially independent, understanding your right to live free from violence, knowing how governments works and exercising your domestic rights”. Canada has been touted as a world leader when it comes to the empowerment of women and gender equality plays a significant role in many of its development programs. In many parts of the world, women and their governments are still playing “catch up” and the idea of gender equality is still only a concept.

The UN calls for an accelerated 2030 agenda whereby we are able to implement a new set of sustainable goals. As well, they are focusing on …”new commitments under the UN Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights”.

It is beneficial to humanity to have their female populous empowered and able, through equality and gender parity, the chance and tools to reach their full potential allowing for an enriched society for all.

Empowered Woman, Unfettered by life’s once cumbersome details

Mindful of self and surroundings, desires and needs now relevant, never again curtailed

Primed and full of confidence, she soars past her inconsolable self and rises

Owning the experiences that create the memories of her life, once Tethered

Warrior spirits abound, never waning and in full fight regalia

Eager to take flight

Revealing the strengths of her character, no longer held in abeyance

Much to their chagrin

Emancipated and able, ready to ascend to a new understanding of oneself

Notwithstanding the powers of governments and societies

Tantamount to the oppressive beliefs now outlawed and waylaid by what she understands of herself and her place for she alone commands the niche now carved and indelible, never again invisible and on display for all to see.

Hayley Millington is the UNE’s National Equity Representative for Women.

 

Posted on

Check Your Pay Stubs – Phoenix Pay System Coming Online

Phoenix

After years of development, the federal public service’s Phoenix pay system is now being rolled out for UNE members who are paid through Public Services and Procurement Canada (formerly known as Public Works and Government Services Canada). Like most major service upgrades, members should expect there to be some glitches along the way. However, this is not a small issue; this could directly affect the livelihood of families if problems with the system result in lower or missing financial income.

So what are members to do?

First, check pay stubs and direct deposits. If you notice any problems, there is a process to follow.

The government’s Pay Centre Escalation Process describes who workers should contact in cases where pay is inaccurate or untimely.

  1. Contact your manager to confirm your paperwork was sent to the Pay Centre. If it was not, acquire the paperwork to request a salary advance and follow up with your manager to send the paperwork. It is also important that you advise your human resources department right away.
  2. If the paperwork was sent, call the Pay Centre at 1-855-686-4729 to speak to a compensation advisor.
  3. If the compensation advisor doesn’t follow up within three days or you are unsatisfied with their response, contact the Client Satisfaction Bureau at pwgsc.clientsatisfactionbureau-bureausatisfactionclientele.tpsgc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
  4. Please share your experiences with us. Did a problem with your pay occur? Did you resolve it yourself? Was the process an ordeal? Send us an email at info@une-sen.org so that we can work together with the employer and make certain our members are being paid.

There is a handy flow chart describing service standards and the problem-resolution process here: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/remuneration-compensation/paye-centre-pay/service-eng.html#a3

We anticipate each organization will have different approaches to solving issues with the Pay Centre. In addition to following the process provided, we highly encourage you to contact your human resources department.

As your union, we are here to help.

 

Posted on

OLG Rideau-Carleton Raceway Slots Lockout Enters 3rd Month; workers vow to bring struggle to Queen’s Park

OLG3rdMonth

16 February 2016 — Workers at the Rideau-Carleton Raceway Slots in Ottawa are today entering the third month of being locked out from their workplace. The 124 workers were first locked out by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) on December 16, 2015, after they overwhelmingly refused to accept a contract that would keep their wages frozen for two out of three years, and also force them to give up existing pension language from their current collective agreement.

To mark the beginning of the lockout, workers will be holding a barbecue in front of the Slots on  February 18 to celebrate their collective strength over the last two months.

  • BBQ will be held between 3pm and 5pm on Thursday February 18 at 4837 Albion Rd.
  • Workers and union representatives will be available for interviews.
  • Photo opportunities will be available.

“When OLG locked out these workers back in December, management thought they wouldn’t last more than a couple of weeks,” said Doug Marshall, President of the Union of National Employees, a component union of PSAC. “But the workers stood up for themselves and refused to be pushed around. They weathered the blistering cold and snow, maintained a strong picket line every day of the week, and met with provincial and municipal politicians to put pressure on OLG to end the lockout.”

The beginning of the third month of the lockout also coincides with the return of the Ontario Legislative Assembly from its winter adjournment, and locked-out workers are now determined to bring their situation to Queen’s Park and pressure the Liberal government to end the lockout fairly.

“We will make sure that Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa hear from us,” said Larry Rousseau, Regional Executive Vice President of the National Capital Region for the PSAC. “And we will also let them know that our much larger unit at the OLG Woodbine Slots in Toronto will commence bargaining in the coming weeks, and they too will not accept attempts by OLG to take away pension language from their contract—we will stand united!”

Posted on

Treasury Board bargaining: new government, old mandate

CBUpdate

Treasury Board bargaining teams met this week for the first time since the election of the new Liberal government.

We brought forward proposals addressing the needs that were identified by the membership and continue to work toward achieving a fair collective agreement.

Given the Liberals’ election promises, we expected this government to bring forward a new bargaining mandate. In fact there was little indication of a change in approach.

We will not trade away sick leave

Treasury Board negotiators tabled a proposal similar to that of the previous Conservative government, that would replace our existing sick leave plan. It takes away existing rights and leaves members worse off. The proposed short term disability plan would fall outside of the collective agreement and allow the government to make unilateral changes any time.

We remain open to improvements on sick leave but we will not negotiate concessions or agree to any proposal that forces members to choose between losing pay or going to work sick.

Fair bargaining and Bill C4

We are pleased to see the government move to repeal Bill C59 (division 20), but there is still another unfair labour law on the books. The unconstitutional changes to labour laws governing the collective bargaining process under C4 remain a key issue.

It is a mystery why the government is not repealing this legislation in light of the clear pronouncements made by the Supreme Court in the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour case. We will continue to move forward with our litigation and take all necessary steps to ensure that there is free and fair collective bargaining for the federal public service.

At the bargaining table, PSAC will continue to focus on measures to improve the delivery and quality of public services and make the federal public service an efficient and healthy place to work. This benefits all Canadians.

  • EB: Our team focused on the issue of class sizes and making sure that our recommendations about the pay study are recognized and followed. For more info: psacunion.ca/eb.
  • FB: We put forward proposals to protect against the elimination of officer positions due to the introduction of technological change. The team also sought to protect compressed work weeks and prevent management from making unilateral changes to schedules. For more info: psacunion.ca/fb.
  • PA: We focused on working conditions in contact centres and the need to implement minimum standards in these workplaces. Our team also emphasized the importance of implementing shift scheduling by seniority. For more info: psacunion.ca/pa.
  • SV: Our ship’s crew subcommittee finalized the proposals that we will bring to the next round of bargaining. For more info:psacunion.ca/sv.
  • TC: Discussions focused on the need to better protect health and safety and to expand the definition of “family,” to remove discriminatory language. The team discussed hours of work, and the need to provide more allowances that recognize the unique and difficult nature of TC members’ work. For more info: psacunion.ca/tc.

Source: psacunion.com

Posted on

OLG Refuses to Withdraw Ultimatum, Shows No Movement at Bargaining Table

OLGRefuses

Ottawa — Workers at the Rideau Carleton Raceway Slots (RCRS) in Ottawa met with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) management on Friday, January 29 for the first time since they were locked out on December 16, 2015. The workers, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), were hopeful that OLG would show some flexibility at the bargaining table. However, they were quickly disappointed to learn that OLG remains unwilling to change its last position, insisting that the union concede to its demands on wages and pensions—the two key issues in the dispute—before it will negotiate in any meaningful way:

  • Back in December, OLG insisted on freezing wages for the first two years of any new contract, and then providing a 1.75% increase for the third year. Workers had rejected this given that they had not received a raise since 2009, even though the cost of living in Ottawa has increased by about 9% in that period. Moreover, the locked out workers are currently paid around 8% less than workers doing comparable work at other sites, such as OLG Casino Brantford. At Friday’s meeting, however, OLG continued to insist that the total wage increase for the new three year contract will still be 1.75%.
  • Prior to the lockout, OLG insisted that workers agree to the removal of pension language from their current contracts. The workers had rejected this then, but on Friday, OLG continued to insist that workers agree to the complete removal of existing pension language.

“It is reprehensible that OLG would ask to meet with the workers again just to try to force the same substandard contract onto them once more,” said Doug Marshall, President of the Union of National Employees, a component union of the PSAC. “The workers already voted by 96% to reject OLG’s attempts to freeze their wages and remove pension language.”

“I want to be clear with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne: we will bring this battle to Queen’s Park if her government does not end this shameful attack on OLG workers here in Ottawa,” added Larry Rousseau, Regional Executive Vice President of the PSAC in the National Capital Region. “And we will not stop until her government treats these workers with the fairness and respect they deserve.”

OLG management at the RCRS locked out 124 of its workers on December 16. The workers served in a variety of roles, including as parking attendants, housekeepers, slot attendants, slot technicians, cashiers and money room clerks.

 

Posted on

February is Black History Month – And Yes, it is still meaningful

BHM

By Hayley Millington

As recently as January 20th, 2016, during a conversation about the 2016 Oscars, U.S. actress Stacy Dash said on Fox News that she wants to eliminate Black History Month (BHM). According to Ms. Dash as she addressed the ongoing outrage over the lack of minority nominees in major categories;

“I think it’s ludicrous,” Dash, 49, said about the response to the lack of diversity surrounding the Oscar nominations. “We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration. If we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the [NAACP] Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black.”

Ms. Dash went a step further by saying “there shouldn’t be a Black History Month. We’re Americans, period.”

In 2005, Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman said that having a Black History month was “ridiculous” and that the best way to end racism today is to “stop talking about it”. When questioned as to why, Mr. Freeman stated “You’re going to relegate my history to a month”.

The statements quoted here are a set of widely used, tried and tested propaganda used in America daily. The ideas themselves are used at any given time in discussions with other proponents who would like to remove Black History Month from the calendar with the premise that it hinders us (black folks) more than it helps us in achieving the American dream, not as a black person in America but as an American.

On this side of the border, attitudes towards BHM differ. All Canadians are invited to participate in BHM festivities as the legacy of black Canadians are remembered and celebrated. Canadians take the time to celebrate what Canadian people of colour have brought to the cultural mosaic that is Canada’s multicultural diversity.

It is important to recognize and not lose sight of the fact that Black History Month carries a significance that far outweighs the negativity as it allows people of colour to showcase their past and their present.

So while some to the south of us continue to devalue and misconstrue the importance of Black History Month, my point of view is that it certainly has a role to play in educating Canadians about its historical context and perspective.

For the next 29 days I am engaging my colleagues and friends with a BHM quiz that has been ongoing for the past 13 years in my place of work. When it opens up and creates a space for dialog about black history, the conversation becomes an opportunity to share my experiences openly and proudly with all who are interested.

Hayley Millington is the UNE’s National Equity Representative for Women.

Posted on

Meeting of the National Executive

NatExecMtg

The National Executive of the Union of National Employees will be meeting from Tuesday, January 26 to Thursday, January 28, 2016 in Ottawa.

Should your Local have any item to be placed on the agenda for this meeting, please contact your Regional Vice-President and provide him or her with the necessary information in order that he or she will be in a position to place this matter before the Executive.