Your bargaining team met April 22-23 to start preparing our
exchange documents and strategies for this round of bargaining. Our
mobilizers joined us April 24-25 where they were trained by OPSEU staff. We
took this opportunity to attend a Blue Jays game as a team building
exercise. In addition, we met with our faculty colleagues to discuss common
concerns and joint events.
The main focus of the mobilizer training was the use of
social media and to become familiar with communication and campaign
resources within OPSEU; defining the role of mobilizers as an extension of
the bargaining team, and how they can assist the local leadership in
developing their own capacity and strengths.
Mobilizers will start their work in early June. They will
work with local presidents and their executives to develop a geographic
layout of all of the colleges and their various campuses. The mobilizers
will work with the local leadership to assist in motivating and encouraging
potential leaders at each local.
Together they will talk to members of the bargaining unit
about bargaining and our collective agreement and promote a culture where
all members of the bargaining unit are encouraged to take some
responsibilities while building solidarity and support for one another.
Working with OPSEU staff, the mobilizers will provide all locals with the
necessary and required resources.
In short, CAAT Support mobilizers will be our eyes and ears
on the ground while providing assistance in maintaining a seamless two-way
flow of information between members and the bargaining team. I strongly
encourage everyone to make their tasks as easy and productive as possible!
In Solidarity
Florry Foster
Chair, Bargaining Team
Mark these dates!
May 22 is ‘Wear
Blue Day’
On May 22 we want all locals to
organize an event that will bring
together your college’s support
staff and faculty members in
a show of solidarity as both
groups head into contract
negotiations.
A joint letter from CAAT A and
CAAT S will be sent shortly to
all local presidents to inform
them and their members of
the importance of building
solidarity and demonstrating
our strength in numbers.
Locals are free to develop their
own event, but ideas could
include a barbeque, ice cream
treat, a Pub Night or any other
similar social gathering. Please
remember to take pictures,
especially those which feature
faculty and support staff
together and try to provide the
names of those captured in your
photograph. We would also
welcome short videos!
Remember to send your
photos and videos to: caatsbargainingteam2014@opseu.org.
Sun Shade Day
June 2 is Sun Shade Day. On
this day we are marking the
start of negotiations and the
formal notice of intent to
bargain.
Wind shield sun shades fit into
the front car window to block
the sun. Ours will feature a big
blue OPSEU design logo as well
as the CAAT Support and CAAT
Academic logos. We want as
many support staff and faculty
as possible to open Sun Shades
in their cars on June 2nd,
and to use them throughout
the summer in another
demonstration of solidarity.
The cost of the sun shades
is $2.49 each. The local can
purchase them through the local
dues rebates. An electronic
order form has been sent to
all local presidents. The order
deadline is May 10. The local
may also wish to purchase
additional sunshades for
students as a gesture of good
will.
Posters with our campaign logos
will be produced by OPSEU’s
graphic and design unit, with
space provided for locals to
write-in the time and location of
events. Please make use of these
eye-catching posters by posting
them to your notice boards and
for advertising purposes. The
posters will be shipped to you
shortly.
We’re up-and-running on Facebook and Twitter !
Our facebook page, CAAT Support Staff/ Personnel de soutien and twitter
@CAATsupport, have now gone live.
Mobilizers will be working with local
presidents to help members get signed
up on Facebook and Twitter.
@CAATsupport
CAATsupportstaff
www.opseu.org/caat/caat_sup/caatsuppindex.htm
We haven’t forgotten
traditional media, either!
While Facebook and Twitter have
gained in popularity, many members
still prefer to hear from their bargaining
teams the traditional way: through
emails and via OPSEU’s website.
If they haven’t done so already we
strongly encourage all college support
members to contact OPSEU Resources
to ensure that their contact information
is up-to-date. It’s easy! Simply call
1-800-268-7376
1-800-268-7376 and speak with an
OPSEU representative. Give them your
secure (non-college) email address and
be sure to check that your telephone
number(s) and address are up-to-date.
Only by staying connected can
you be guaranteed to stay on top of
developments as we go through the
bargaining process.
CAAT Support video project
A videographer and a communication officer from OPSEU have
been
visiting a select number of colleges around the province to capture the
day-to-day work performed by a variety of our members. To date they
have visited Cambrian, Boréal, Georgian, Humber, St. Lawrence and
Fleming, with more to come.
There are more than 150 different occupations in the support system
and it’s about time more members, students, faculty and the public
learned about the interesting work we do to keep the college system
humming smoothly.
The first series of 60-second videos have been posted to Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube. Be sure to check them out!
Get ready for the CAAT Support photo contest coming soon!
We will be rolling out a photo
contest which will start on June
2 – the first day we sit down
with college negotiators – until
we reach a deal. Details are
being finalized and once they
are complete the information
will be sent out to the locals
with the rules and prizes. Our
goal is to keep the Facebook
page updated and provide
pictures and videos to keep it
active.
A ‘To Do’ list for local presidents
-
Send your mobilizer a list of all your different
campus locations and the approximate
number of employees at each, along with
other relevant location information such as
special shifts. Also, please identify to your
mobilizer the location where events will be
held and whether or not your local uses teleconferencing.
-
Get union cards signed by unsigned members.
-
Work with your regional office to cleanup
your membership lists. OPSEU has 4,000
secure (non college) emails on file, for more
than 8,000 members. More than 800 of those
emails end up bouncing back. The result
means there is no guarantee that the good
emails still apply to current support staff
members.
Be a local media watch dog!
A media release will be
distributed by OPSEU on June
2 to announce the start of
bargaining. This release will
be sent to all daily newspapers,
radio stations and television
stations in your regions.
A copy of the release will
also be provided to all local
presidents, so they can recirculate
it local media outlets
in their communities. OPSEU’s
communication unit is
currently updating its database
of local media contacts and
copies will be sent to each local
president by the end of May.
If you see anything reported
in your local news media
about our upcoming Support-Faculty events, please share
this coverage with your
mobilizers or forward to: communications@opseu.org.
Distribute ‘Bargaining Bulletins’ wide and far!
With each edition of Bargaining Bulletin,
OPSEU will distribute 50 coloured-printed hard
copies to each local to be put up on Notice Boards
and other locations where members gather.
The Bulletin will announce our Facebook page
and Twitter accounts, and will ask members to
“Like” and “Follow” us. Please also invite all your
members to Like and Follow our social media
sites.
Changes to the mobilizer line up
To better improve our capacity to communicate with
members at French-language colleges we have made some
changes to the assignments of mobilizers. Andre Savoie
will be doing LaCite and Boreal. There may be other small
realignments to ensure Andre that is not overwhelmed
once the campus locations are defined. Final mobilizer
assignments will be provided as soon as possible.
Your 2014 bargaining bulletin is authorized for distribution by:
Warren (Smokey) Thomas
President, OPSEU
Florry Foster
Chair, CAAT-Support Bargaining Team
