Want to learn more?

Call one of the Organizing Reps on the “Contact Us” section or simply come by the OPSEU office on campus located in Podium 247A!

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future.

Vote YES for OPSEU.

• Ontario Labour Relations Board Officers conduct the vote.
• The vote is by secret ballot.
• The question on the ballot will be: In your employment relations with your employer do you wish to be represented by the union? YES or NO
• There are no proxy or advance votes. You must show up in person to cast your ballot at any of the designated poll locations at the times listed.
• The vote is based on a simple majority (50 per cent plus 1 of the ballots cast).

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future.

Vote YES for OPSEU.

• All your working conditions, benefits and wages will remain the same until a first collective agreement is negotiated.
• A professional OPSEU staff representative will be assigned to work with your local.
• You will elect stewards, a local executive and a negotiating team from part-time support members and work-study students at Ryerson (people you know!). These elected members receive top-notch training and education.
• A new collective agreement will be negotiated between your local and Ryerson. Every member gets a chance to vote on that contract.
• No dues are paid until that first collective agreement is negotiated and accepted by the members. OPSEU dues are among the lowest of any union: 1.375 per cent of your pay. Union dues are tax deductible.

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future.

Vote YES for OPSEU.

March 2010

OPSEU has filed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to ask for a certification vote for all part-time support staff and work-study students. This Q&A is designed to answer questions about the union certification vote.

What is the Ontario Labour Relations Board?

The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) is an agency of the Ontario government. It oversees most of the collective bargaining that takes place in Ontario.

Why is there going to be a vote?

For the past few months, part-time support staff and work-study students have been signing union cards expressing interest in joining OPSEU. On March 1, 2010, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) presented these cards to the OLRB. The OLRB has now ordered a vote to determine if a majority of the employees want OPSEU to represent them.

Who can vote?

The representation vote is a vote of part-time support staff and work-study students at Ryerson University. It does not include any full-time support staff, research assistants, employees working for RSU or CESAR or any currently-unionized employees.

If you are part-time support staff or a work-study student, and you think you may be eligible to vote, you should vote. The Labour Relations Board will settle disputes over eligibility after the vote is complete.

Will the employer know that I signed a union card?

By law, the employer is allowed to know how many cards are signed, but NOT who signed the cards. That information is held in strict confidence by the union.

Will the employer or the union know how I vote?

No. The employer and the union will know the voting results, but not how any individual voted.

How will the vote be conducted?

The vote will take place Monday, March 8. Labour Relations Officers of the Ontario Labour Relations Board will supervise the vote and the ballot boxes.

How do I know where to vote?

Once the official notice is received from the Ontario Labour Relations Board, notices will be posted at Ryerson University and on the web at www.ryersonworkers.org. By law, Ryerson must post notices of the vote in the workplace. The vote will take place on site at Ryerson.

What if my name is not on the voters’ list?

If you are not on the list, your name will be added. Your vote will then be set aside, or “segregated” until your eligibility is determined. Once your name is verified, your vote is then added to the count.

How does that work?

When you vote, the Labour Relations Officer will place your ballot in an unmarked envelope, seal the envelope, and place it in a second envelope. Your name, job, and place of work will be written on the second envelope, which will then be dropped in the appropriate ballot box.

When the vote is complete, the employer and the union will meet to examine each envelope and decide, at the Labour Relations Board, whether the individual who voted is eligible to vote. If he or she is not eligible to vote, his or her vote will be set aside and not counted. If he or she is eligible to vote, his or her envelope will go into the “to-be-counted” pile. Once all the eligible voters have been determined, the Labour Relations Board will open up the outer envelopes and remove the unmarked envelopes. These unmarked envelopes – mixed together – are then opened and the vote is counted.

It is against the law for either the employer or the union to touch any ballot or attempt in any way to find out how any individual voted.

What percentage of votes does the union need to be certified as the bargaining agent?

The union must win the support of a majority of eligible voters who vote, i.e., 50 per cent plus one of those voting.

When will the votes be counted?

The Labour Relations Board will decide when the ballot boxes will be opened, and when the votes will be counted.

What is OPSEU?

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union represents about 125,000 Ontarians working for more than 500 employers across the public sector. OPSEU is a leading union in the Ontario Public Service, health care, colleges and school boards, social services, property assessment, at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, and in many other fields. The union employs over 300 staff with expertise in collective bargaining, grievance-handling, benefits, pensions, education, communications, research, and member services. OPSEU serves members through its head office and through regional offices and membership centres in every corner of Ontario.

What experience does OPSEU have representing university staff?

OPSEU already represents full-time support staff at Ryerson, and has since 1984. Part-time support staff and work-study students would join their colleagues in OPSEU Local 596. Part-time support staff and work study students would have their own bargaining unit and their own collective agreement.

What is a bargaining unit?

The term “bargaining unit” refers to the group of workers who bargain together to achieve a common collective agreement.

If OPSEU becomes the bargaining agent for part-time support staff and work-study students, when do we start paying union dues?

You do not pay union dues until you have your first collective agreement in place.

How much are OPSEU’s union dues?

OPSEU union dues are fixed at a rate of 1.375 per cent of gross pay. This money pays for collective bargaining expenses, grievance-handling, union education programs, operating expenses for union locals, and all other union services to members. Union dues are also 100 per cent tax deductible

What is a collective agreement?

A collective agreement is a legally-binding contract that sets out the wages and working conditions for a specified group of workers (“the bargaining unit”). It is negotiated between the workers’ union and the workers’ employer.

If OPSEU becomes the bargaining agent for part-time support staff and work-study students, what happens next?

OPSEU’s goal will be to begin collective bargaining with the university as soon as possible. In order to do this, the union will work with part-time support staff members and work-study students to create a process to democratically elect a bargaining team to represent members of the bargaining unit.

Who can vote in bargaining team elections?

Any union member in the bargaining unit can run for election and vote in bargaining team elections.

If OPSEU becomes the bargaining agent for part-time support staff and work-study students, what will happen to my wages, benefits, job security, and so on?

Once a union files an application for a certification vote and a vote is held, it is illegal for any employer to change the wages and working conditions of any worker in the bargaining unit until a collective agreement is negotiated.

With OPSEU as your bargaining agent, your wages and working conditions will be negotiated between the union and the university. Under Ontario law, the employer must negotiate in good faith.

Who decides if a collective agreement is acceptable to the workers in the bargaining unit?

The workers do. All collective agreements must be approved by a majority vote of the employees in the bargaining unit.

Who decides if workers go on strike?

Strikes are extremely rare, but when they do happen it is ONLY with the authorization of the workers in the bargaining unit. Under Ontario law, every worker in the bargaining unit is eligible to vote for or against strike action.

What happens if there are disputes about the interpretation of the collective agreement?

Under Ontario law, every collective agreement must contain a legally-binding mechanism for settling disputes.

Will Work Study students lose their jobs if they are represented by a union?

The Ontario Work Study Plan is a financial assistance program run by the Ontario government. The government pays 75 per cent of the wages of working students, and the university pays 25 per cent. There is no reason to think that either the government or Ryerson would eliminate the program just because students and other part-time university workers were unionized. The Ontario Work Study Program is a province-wide program.  If cuts are made at Ryerson, they would have to happen at other universities and colleges in Ontario.

Unions give their members a voice so they can bargain to protect jobs. It is employers who eliminate them.

Why does OPSEU want to represent students?

The union believes that all workers – students and non-students – should have access to the advantages collective bargaining provides.

Why should I vote YES to having OPSEU as my bargaining agent?

With OPSEU as your bargaining agent, you have a voice in the workplace. By joining together with your co-workers, you have a way to build your negotiating power to improve your wages and working conditions. Plus you’ll have the full support of an experienced, professional organization that is directly accountable to you.

Workers vote to unionize for one main reason – to give themselves a powerful tool to improve their lives, both on and off the job. By working together and speaking with one voice as part of a strong, democratic union, part-timers will have a say in their own future – a future that needs good jobs for all of us.

I’m in my last year at Ryerson. Why should I vote for a union?

The goal of unionizing is to empower workers and improve their working lives. Your vote will create a lasting legacy for those who follow you, and have a lasting, positive affect on the workers of the future. It is your chance to make a real difference.

Where can I get more information?

Go to www.ryersonworkers.org for all the latest information on the vote or contact anyone on the list opposite.

For more information, please contact:

OPSEU Local 596: 416-979-5351

Riley Dawe, Local 596: 416-577-4630

Kella Loschiavo, Local 596: 416-735-6662

Connie Huziak, Organizing Rep.: 416-788-9245

Kiera Chion, Organizing Rep.: 416-526-0330

Candy Lindsay, Organizing Rep.: 416-254-9042

Len Hupet, Organizing Rep.: 416-420-9261

Mike Bisaillon, Organizing Rep.: 416-458-8108

Sue Dafoe, Organizing Rep.: 416-570-5995

OPSEU Resource Centre: 1-800-268-7376

Or drop by the OPSEU Local 596 office at POD-247A

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future.

Vote YES for OPSEU.

-Barack Obama

CHOICE we can believe in

When it comes to life at work, BARACK OBAMA knows about the importance of CHOICE. In 2007, in addition to his statement above, he said:

CHOICE is about having a say on the issues affecting you at work. CHOICE is about whether you want to be recognized for the work you do. CHOICE is about whether you want to have the same rights and entitlements as other workers at Ryerson University.

Ryerson part-time workers and work-study students deserve the same rights and entitlements as their full-time colleagues. By voting YES for OPSEU on March 8, you will take the first step towards achieving those rights and entitlements. You will have a voice that will make the workplace even better, both for you and part-timers to come.

On Monday, March 8…
Vote YES for OPSEU.

* Quotation taken from speech by Barack Obama in Dubuque, Iowa, November 13, 2007.

(Don’t take our word for it: here’s what Barack Obama thinks about unions.)

Work-study students do important work on campus – tutoring, shelving books, leading campus tours, web designing, and event planning, to name a few. A student in a work-study position is paid 75% by the Ontario Work-Study Program (OWSP)/University and 25% by the department. According to OWSP, students are only allowed to make $2000 per semester, even though tuition for Canadian students is typically $2500 or higher per semester.

This makes work-study the cheapest and most profitable group of workers on campus. If something unexpected comes up at work and you have to put in extra hours to deal with it, you won’t be paid for those hours because OWSP doesn’t factor it in. You’re also not guaranteed a minimum of hours because it’s up to the department to decide if there’s a need. Some call the OWSP a “financial aid” program – is it “aid” for the student or “aid” for Ryerson to hire cheap workers?

Flexibility and profitability for who?

Work-study makes you cheaper and more disposable in the eyes of the Employer. Because you only get paid for the hours that you work, Ryerson gets away with not having to pay for sick days. And, if there’s a permanent full-time job posting you have to wait until the posting goes public before you can even apply for it, while the unionized full-timers have first dibs on it.

Work-study students are very much like casual workers in the sense that you have to reapply for the same job year after year, sometimes having to be re-interviewed for the same position, and on top of it all, there is the stress of not being rehired at all or being able to move up just because someone has a personal issue with you.

Experiential-learning in what?

Work-study is supposed to give students an opportunity to “try out” jobs that they otherwise wouldn’t be hired for because of inexperience and lack of education. However, experiential-learning in the workplace means learning about both sides of the story, not just the one that Ryerson tells you.

It’s time for change

We believe that work-study is a valuable program, but we also believe that student workers should have the same opportunities and protections as their full-time coworkers. Student workers must have rights…and a voice.

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future, and the future of all work-study students who will come after you.

Vote YES for OPSEU.

Non-union part-time support staff and work-study students at Ryerson do not.

You need to have the ability to make a choice about your future. The only way to get that choice is to unionize.

What is a union?

A union is a group of people, with similar concerns and goals, who work together to make positive changes in their workplace. Unions exist to advance worker rights, while at the same time protecting your wages and working conditions. Unions negotiate “on a level playing field” with the employer everything from worker disputes to the term and conditions of your employment.

Ask yourself:

• Have you had enough of low-paying, part-time temporary work?
• Do you want the ability to negotiate issues such as sick benefits, vacation and holiday pay?
• Do you want a future with stability, one that allows you to apply for positions the same as unionized members?
• Do you want to be recognized for the valuable work you do, and be compensated for it fairly?

If you answered yes, then it’s time to take action and get a choice in your future.

Join Ryerson faculty, administrative staff, TAs, RAs, food service and maintenance staff…they have a legally-recognized voice in the workplace. You should too!

On Monday, March 8, vote YES for OPSEU!

OPSEU offers many educational courses to assist you in the workplace. These courses are available to all members, and are completely free!

Equal pay for equal work is the idea that people doing the same work should receive the same compensation. Historically, this type of law was created to prevent employers from paying women at a lower rate then that paid to men who performed the same work. Currently, equal pay legislation exists in all Canadian provinces and territories except Nunvut.

Why should we treat someone differently just because they work fewer hours? At this defining moment in our history, as part-time work becomes more and more common in all industries, it’s time we took a stand.

On March 8, make a choice for YOUR future.

Vote YES for OPSEU.