Opseu Local 340

12/24/2021

Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to All from Local 340!
Stay safe, love one another and have a Happy New Year!

04/09/2021

OPSEU LOCAL 340 MEETING - Demand Setting for Bargaining! This will be a Zoom meeting on April 22nd from 5pm to 7pm.
** Invites will be sent to your personal email accounts, so we need them please **

I have created a special address to send your personal email addresses to. local340mail@gmail.com

This is a bargaining year as our collective agreement expires at the end of 2021. Please send your first and last name plus your email address to local340mail@gmail.com as soon as you can so we can get you on the invite list. (Your personal email address will not be shared)

07/27/2020

Local 340 sends prayers to our sister and her family and friends

It is with great sadness that I announce the tragic loss of one of our OPSEU members from Local 448, Karen Gottschalk-Millar.  Karen, a valued and respected Residential Counsellor at a Kemptville group home operated by Pathways to Independence, was the victim of a homicide in her workplace on Frida...

07/23/2020

Face Coverings are available.
Now that we have mandatory face coverings/facemasks for certain areas in Durham, we have purchased some cloth face coverings/masks for those who wish to have one or keep one in your desk.

They have non-elastic loops around your ears, are 3 layers and are very breathable. They are black and have a small opseu logo on the bottom. I've gotten some positive comments from mine at the LCBO, who are also OPSEU workers.

Let your local steward know that you'd want one and we will gather orders up and ensure we get one to you. ..And above all, be safe, stay well.. and all the best to you and your family.

06/24/2020

The UN has established every June 23 as to underscore the role public services play in our communities. This year, we salute the courage and dedication of public servants, here and around the world, in fighting the pandemic. https://bit.ly/2CAhQ9S

03/16/2020

*** Coronavirus COVID-19 Update #1 ***

• Stay Updated with the Ministry of Health Novel Coronavirus Website:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus

• IT Staff are receiving the direction to work from home where that capability exists.

• Some M*F staff are receiving direction to work from home where that ability exists – discuss with your manager.

• HR has been given direction to work from home where they can for a 3 week timeline.

• Hand Sanitizing stations have not been ordered yet for the building as they are awaiting corporate direction.

• At work - Wash your hands for 20 seconds or use alcohol based sanitizer. At home - EPA lists Bleach as a viral killer for surfaces – but Vinegar is not listed.

Learn about how the Ministry of Health is preparing for the 2019 novel coronavirus in Ontario. Find out how to protect yourself, what to do if you’re sick after you travel and how to recognize possible symptoms. Take a self-assessment Get information in other languages Contact Telehealth Ontario a...

03/15/2020

Premier Ford agrees with us – and good on him: Thomas

TORONTO – OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is commending Premier Doug Ford for his words and actions on Friday to fight COVID-19.
“I have in the past and unless there is a shift in direction, likely will have future differences with this government on most issues,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “But I always give praise where praise is due, and yesterday the Premier spoke and acted like a leader. He put aside partisan politics, stepped up to the plate and worked with political leaders of all stripes to find ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Following a conference call with provincial and territorial Premiers and the Prime Minister, Ford said it was imperative that workers who self-isolate be supported, particularly those who don’t have the luxury of working from home. He added the province would “spare no expense” to support families during this difficult time. The collaborative and reassuring tone struck by the Premier, Opposition leader Andrea Horwath and Prime Minister Trudeau was music to the ears of Ontarians and indeed an entire nation. It’s what politics can aspire to be.
Leading an effort to combat community spread, OPSEU was among the first large organizations in Ontario to close its offices and allow staff to work from home to serve its members. The Ontario government followed suit by announcing similar measures for its direct workforce.
“I’m very pleased the Premier has put aside politics because now is not the time for that,” Thomas added. We’re all in this together, and the only way we’re going to fight COVID-19 is to work together. The government announcement regarding its own staff is an example for all employers during these troubled times. We are especially calling on our partners in the Broader Public Sector and Colleges and Universities to follow suit immediately.”
Thomas and other health care labour leaders have called on the provincial government to ensure health care workers have the full protective equipment they need when caring for patients with COVID-19. But they also need time and space to fight a potential crisis in capacity.
“With SARS, we learned our lesson the hard way,” Thomas said. “We have to do absolutely everything humanly possible to protect our health care heroes, lessen their burden, and allow them to carry out their lifesaving work. This is job one for this government. This is job one for our union.
If we continue to collaborate in this way, we will prevail

03/12/2020

Today the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic.  We have and will continue to assess the situation daily and are following expert advice and guidance.  Given the evolving circumstances, OPSEU offices will begin closing effective end of business Wednesday March 11, 2020.  T...

02/16/2020

Tickets are available for the Peterborough Pete's game ona first come, first served basis. Tickets are on a $5 suggested donation to help support one of our members whose son was diagnosed with leukemia Dec 24th, 2018. The donation will assist in out of pocket expenses that unfortunately not covered by OHIP.

You can reserve your tickets at the link below, ticket pick up will be the night of the game inside the main box office entrance starting at 6:15 pm. OPSEU people will be inside the doors of the main entrance with the tickets and will collect your donation should you wish to donate.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peterborough-petes-vs-oshawa-generals-tickets-94152668165?aff=utm_source%3Deb_email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dnew_event_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

Join OPSEU Region 3 at the Peterborough Petes annual union night

01/17/2020

Mike is an activist in Region 3, this is his son fighting the fight!

Leslie Mountjoy Ali's Army - 2nd Tour Of Duty Alexander “Ali” McKeown has always been a joy to be around. A much-loved son to Mike and Sheri and a little bro

01/15/2020

Please, complete and share with your co-workers!

Count Me In: the OPSEU membership census Complete the census and get entered to win an iPad and prepaid Visa gift cards! The sooner you enter, the more chances you’ll have to win with our early bird draws! To complete the census online Click here To download and print the census Click here Share o...

01/10/2020

Statement on the deaths of two OPSEU members

We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn that two members of OPSEU were among the 63 Canadians who were on board the Ukrainian International Airlines flight that crashed in Iran this week.

Dr. Razgar Rahimi was a member of Local 558 and a partial-load professor in the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science at Centennial College. He had received a doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2018 from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, where he was also a sessional lecturer.

Dr. Rahimi had a reputation for excellence in the fields of applied electricity, signals and communications, and programming languages, while his warm and engaging manner endeared him to colleagues and students. Dr. Rahimi’s passion for his fields of expertise was exceeded only by his love for his family. He will be terribly missed by his wider family, his many friends, and of course all who knew him at Centennial College.

Dr. Rahimi’s wife and young son were on the plane with him when it crashed.

Behnaz Ebrahimi-Khoei and her young son also perished in the crash. Behnaz was a member and steward with Local 552. She was a property valuation analyst in Toronto and was well liked and valued by her co-workers and friends. She will be dearly missed.

Behnaz studied at the University of Tehran and received a degree in computer engineering. She started with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) seven years ago as a contract property inspector. She graduated from the Seneca accelerated Real Property Administration (RPA) program and worked her way up to become a property valuation analyst. She was but one exam away from completing her Canadian Residential Appraiser (CRA) designation.

Her co-workers knew her as a kind-hearted person and a dedicated mother.

On behalf of our OPSEU family, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of Razgar and Behnaz. We also wish to send our condolences to the families who have suffered a loss as a result of this tragedy.

As a mark of our respect and sorrow, OPSEU will lower its flags to half-mast at head office .

President Warren (Smokey) Thomas

First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida

12/18/2019

Additional public sector unions say they're joining a court challenge of the Ford government's law capping wage increases at one per cent.

09/24/2019

It is with heavy hearts to make this announcement... one of our members/union stewards, Graeme Wright, passed away on Friday, Sept 20th, 2019.
Visitation is Fri Sept 27th at the Oshawa Funeral Home from 11am to 2pm. There will be a Celebration of Life on Sat, Sept 28th from 1-4pm at the Oshawa Legion, 471 Simcoe St South.
Graeme always offered his kindness, sympathy and support to those who asked, and we all will miss him dearly. R.I.P Brother Wright