An important message from President Warren (Smokey) Thomas  

I have sent a letter to the Premier, calling on the government to immediately withdraw the section of its budget bill that will privatize ServiceOntario.

ServiceOntario is a huge money-maker for the province. This government operation annually earns $2.7 billion in revenues on $270 million in operating costs. That is a 10-to-1 return on investment! These revenues fund the public services that Ontarians rely on.

We need your help to make this campaign a success.

1. Please share and post my letter on union bulletin boards.

2. E-mail your MPP now. Use this online tool to tell your MPP to keep ServiceOntario public. Encourage your colleagues and friends to do the same.

3. Share the link on Facebook and Twitter.

For more news and views from the OPS, please visit our blog PS: LETS TALK

In solidarity,

Warren (Smokey) Thomas

http://www.opseu.org/ops/campaigns/serviceontario/

Stewardship One Classes are offered for Saturday June 16^th 2012 at the following locations:

• Kingston Membership Centre located at 920 Princess St. Suite 103 (2nd floor), Kingston.
• Brockville Membership Centre located at 333 California Avenue Unit 15 (Rear entrance). This office is located just behind the Home Depot.
• Ottawa Membership Centre 2255 St Laurent BLVD about 1 km east on St. Laurent from our OPSEU Area Office, third floor. Use side door buzzer to announce your arrival.

Classes will be held at all three locations, scheduled from 9am until 5 pm in,  Kingston, Ottawa and Brockville, as well as Pembroke pending at least 18 members signing up at each location. If 18 members do not enrol at a given location by Tuesday the 12^th of June, then those members already enrolled will be informed of the class cancellation and rescheduling for this September 22^nd   again in the these same locations, exchanging Renfrew for Cornwall and they will be notified of our next offering of Steward One Training.

All interested members are asked to apply themselves in writing:

• Kingston location – Alison St Amand – Email: astamand@opseu.org Fax: (613) 546-1325
• Brockville location – Cathy Wright – Email: cwright@opseu.org Fax: (613) 498-3088
• Ottawa & Pembroke location – Deborah Smith – Email: dsmith@opseu.org Fax: (613) 737-0753

Registration Deadline will be Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 12:00pm

Participants will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis to a maximum of 24 members accepted.  We will confirm receipt of each application and also send a final confirmation after the deadline.

Expenses Covered: Mileage and lunch (if not provided).

We would also like to take this time to remind all interested activists and Locals, the Region will host extra Stewardship One Training opportunities whenever, a Local or group of Locals can bring together at least 18 interested Sisters and Brothers.

In Solidarity

Chris, Dave and Smokey
Region 4s EBMs

Re: Rogue agency haunts McGuinty, May 8

Dalton McGuinty is pondering using “outside advisors … for additional scrutiny” to prevent another ORNGE. What next? Having the Ministry of Natural Resources use gasoline to fight forest fires?

I find it alarming that our political leaders appear unable or unwilling to learn from their collective mistakes (e.g. ORNGE and eHealth). Privatization is not a substitute for due diligence and accountability.

Steve Gora, Kingston

His book 1923: A Memoir is a protest against social injustice, corruption, war, famine, poverty, and societies blinded by greed. More importantly, it is the story of hope and the notion that anything can be overcome if the determination is strong enough. Mr. Smith is speaking out because he sees our society sliding dangerously backwards towards the time not so long ago when the rich owned everything and government existed to serve their interests. Sounds like the Harper government eh?

He sold every copy of his book on hand for sale after his presentation at 730 pm. His speech was very moving and for the 60 members in attendance, more than a few were moved to tears as he recounted the desperate and tragic story of his families struggles.  All in attendance were glad they took the opportunity to come out and hear firsthand the living history of this extraordinary man and the times that he has lived through and why it is so important that we work to ensure that the gains our parents, grandparents and even great parents fought so hard to gain must be rigorously defended and expanded upon if we are to ensure that Harry’s past does not become our grandchildren’s future.

Without further words of induction attached below is a written copy of Mr. Smith’s speech. After reading it, I urge you to google him and order his book. Finally I have been in contact with Harry since this past Saturday and he has agreed to deliver his speech once more for us so it may be recorded live and uploaded to our website and others, so that those who were not fortunate enough to have attended can still hear and see this extraordinary man deliver his moving life story.

Click here to download the speech.

Click here to go to Mr. Harry Leslie Smith’s website and to find how to purchase his books.

Chris, Smokey and I are once again very happy to announce that Region 4 will be going ahead with the Retirees Seminar. This year it will be held at our Ottawa Membership Centre, 2255 St. Laurent BLVB. We have space for up to 28 participants this Saturday and Sunday June 2^nd and 3rd. We are allowing members to bring along their significant others. Lunch will be catered in on Saturday.  Accommodations are available at the Chimo Hotel.

We encourage those who are planning on retiring within the next three years to consider attending. Staff Pension expert Diana Clarke will be delivering this seminar. As well retired Brother David Root, Vice President of the Region 4 Retirees Committee will be addressing the group on the challenges and lifestyle changes that retirement presents.

If you are interested in enrolling please contact Deborah Smith at the Ottawa Office 1-800-268-7376 ext 5441 to make arrangements. Expenses will be covered from the Region 4 Education fund as outlined on our expense claim forms.

In Solidarity

Dave, Smokey and Chris

http://www.robinhoodtax.org

A tiny fee on the trade in financial transactions paid by banks, not by people it would raise billions of dollars for fighting poverty and climate change at home and around the world.
28 likes, 1 dislikes

On Friday May 25th NUPGE and OPSEU will be raising awareness of the importance of the Robin Hood Tax to create a more regulated global financial system.  This small .005 percent tax would raise over 700 billion around the world.  We will be leafleting various busy areas downtown and talking to people about the taxes importance.  Please click here for more details.  http://robinhoodtax.ca/.  If you or any members are interested in assisting us in bringing Robin Hood to Ottawa, please let us know by Monday, May 14th.  We will require your shirt size if you do not have a Robin Hood Tshirt.  If you require time off to attend please also let us know.  We will start the day at the OPSEU membership centre in Ottawa @ 10am.  This is timely considering countries around the world will be participating in a Global Week of Action.  Considering the recent press release on bank bailouts in Canada, the time for action is now.  http://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/study-reveals-secret-canadian-bank-bailout.  Smokey, Dave and I also feel the CCPA is a leader in progressive research in this country and we have purchased a membership for each and every local in region 4.  Your subscription will be coming soon.  Please share with all your members the fantastic work they produce.  See you in Ottawa.

Robin Hood Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEeRsRddYQQ

In Solidarity,

Smokey, Dave and Chris
OPSEU Region 4 Executive Board Member
OPS Cerc Vice Chair
C 6139215346
TF 18002687376
chrisopseu@hotmail.com
Twitter ID cor@456

Re: “Emergency bank liquidity no ‘secret,’ ” John Greenwood, May 1

If it wasn’t a secret the banks got billions of dollars in taxpayer money during the last recession, then why is everyone so sensitive about calling it a bailout?

Did they receive preferred access to public money? Yes. Did they have to pay all of it back at prime lending rates? No. Would they have been in serious trouble without access to these monies? Yes. Isn’t this by anybody’s definition a bailout? Yes. Except for the Finance Department and the Canadian Bankers Association, who want to spin it as something else.

I think the banks should stop complaining and instead thank the millions of Canadians who helped subsidize their continued high earnings and somewhat misplaced halos. Or maybe there is more here than meets the eye? I hope the National Post’s intrepid investigators will do a little more digging and give us the real scoop on this bailout.

Chris Cormier, executive board member, Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Stirling, Ont.

Cover photo by eyewashdesign on Flickr.