OPSEU members at Fred Victor in Toronto ratify new agreement

Talks started April 2016

Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) at Fred Victor Centre in Toronto voted March 22 to ratify a tentative agreement.

Local 509 bargaining team member Marg Robinson said she was relieved that a strike was avoided. 

“It wasn't a strong 'yes' vote. I hope the employer sees that they have some moving to do in terms of delivering contract improvements for all workers at Fred Victor,” said Robinson.

This is the first collective agreement at Fred Victor since the agency merged with Community Resource Connections of Toronto in August 2015, said the union.

Negotiations began in April 2016 and proved to be long and arduous, according to OPSEU staff representative Ron Johnson. “One of the issues the bargaining team fought the hardest on was this employer's tactics of creating divisions in the workplace,” said Johnson.

Gains won at the bargaining table include a general wage increase for each year of the contract, joint labour management training language, improved harassment and discrimination language and improved occupational health and safety language, according to OPSEU.

“On the final day of conciliation on March 11, talks lasted 22 hours,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU president. “No one can say this team didn't fight hard for a fair deal.”

OPSEU represents about 240 workers at Fred Victor Centre. The agency provides mental health, housing, and outreach supports to people experiencing homelessness.

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