Current dispute centres over pay for non-managers: OPSEU
Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members at the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) in Cambridge, Ont., asked a conciliator on June 27 to head off a potential strike.
“It’s simple, really: you can’t pay your managers on par with what other managers at similar organizations are making, and then turn around and tell your front-line staff they’re out of luck,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president.
About 150 members of OPSEU, Local 259, who work at the GRCA as planners, assistant superintendents, and environmental officers, have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2017, said the union.
During bargaining, the employers were asking for wage increases that would bring their pay in-line with workers doing similar work at similar organizations, something the employer has already done for its managers. The Local 259 members are also looking for a commitment from the employer to keep their positions and their work publicly owned and managed by the GRCA, according to OPSEU.
Earlier this month, the workers voted in favour of striking to back their bargaining demands, said the union.
