Attention all rainbow-identified members: OPSEU/SEFPO’s Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel (RAA) will be holding monthly Queermunity town halls via Zoom on the last Wednesday of each month!

Be sure to join them as they discuss queer issues, chat about upcoming events and host guest speakers!

Register for the May 26th session with special guest speaker Jade Pichette (they/them) from Pride at Work Canada!

Watch the video below for more details!

Click here to be added to the Queermunity email list! Your welcome email will include the Zoom information.

Dates and times: Wednesday

June 30, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30pm

July 28, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30pm

August 25, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30pm

September 29, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30pm

October 27, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30pm

November 24, 2021 7:30pm – 8:30 pm

Cost: Free

If you have any questions or would like to be a guest speaker, please contact pride@opseu.org

It is the time to end basic injustice and basic discrimination, a message from OPSEU and LOCAL 244

We must end this struggle together

For OPSEU Staff And Member

Anti-Black racism is not new.

The brutality of current events, heightened by social media’s incredible power to share and motivate, has shifted the world into action. Systemic racism is deadly real. It is deeply rooted in a painful history that has disproportionately affected Black communities for generations.

OPSEU recognizes this and will be a leader in effecting change. We are inviting all staff and members to take part in this important conversation.

Together we will create real, meaningful change – change that does not leave anyone behind.

The town hall will be hosted by well-known personality and anti-Black racism activist Farley Flex, and will feature a panel of OPSEU members – including President Warren (Smokey) Thomas and First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida – and OPSEU staff.

To accommodate different schedules, the town hall will take part in two sessions:

• Noon to 1:30 pm EST on Tuesday, July 7 • 7 to 8:30 pm EST on Tuesday, July 7

All members and staff are welcome to participate in one or both of the sessions.

There are a variety of ways to participate in either English or French.

If you’re an OPSEU member and OPSEU has your up-to-date phone number, all you have to do is pick up the phone. We’ll call you around 10 to 15 minutes before the session starts – just stay on the line and you’ll be connected to the call. (To ensure OPSEU has your most up-to-date number, please call 1-800-268-7376.)

Please note: OPSEU staff members will NOT receive one of these calls.

OPSEU members and staff can also participate by dialing in directly or over the web. Here’s how:

• 877-229-8493 (ENGLISH) o ID code: 112847 • Web streaming (English, audio-only, closed-captioning is available) o https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=12847

• 877-255-5810 (FRENCH) o ID code: 117019 • Web streaming (French, audio-only)* o https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php?client=17019

*Please note that closed-captioning is not available in French.

Shauna-Kay graduated with a MBA in General Management, a graduate certificate in Public Administration, and an Honours B.A in Criminology and Political Science. Currently, she works as a Court and Client Representative at the Toronto Superior Court of Justice, writes for online magazines, and serves in community organizations.

Carlotta is a member from OPSEU Local 228 and currently works as a Court Clerk and Registrar for the Ministry of the Attorney General. She strives to create opportunities through education that enlighten and empower others about the importance of tolerance and compassion in the workplace so that things such as homophobia, islamophobia, and systematic racism become unbeknownst to places as diverse as the OPS and OPSEU.

Peter has worked as a Property Valuation Specialist for 30 years for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. He is the current Chair of OPSEU’s Coalition of Racialized Workers (CoRW) and he has been active within OPSEU in various capacities since 1992.

Evan is a Customer Service Representative for the LCBO, President of OPSEU Local 376, and the Region 3 Representative on OPSEU’s Provincial Young Workers Committee (PYC). He is a strong believer of Mahatma Gandhi’s mantra, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” and has applied it to his union activist life for the past five years.

Andrea McCormack is a longtime OPSEU staff member. She is a staff rep in the Hamilton office and is currently temporarily reassigned as an Employment Equity Lead. Andrea also sits on the board of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, representing Canada and the Eastern U.S.

Joscelyn came to OPSEU’s Health and Safety unit as a full-time staff member in 2016. Before that, he’d been an active OPSEU member since 1990. He has served as the local Vice-President at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre, Vice-chair to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Youth Justice Divisional Health and Safety Committee, and he also proudly represented the members on the Anti-Discrimination and Systemic Change Committee (ADSC).

Farley is a community-capacity builder, social activist and entertainment industry entrepreneurial pioneer. He is the co-creator of the very successful Just Think 1st anti-violence/anti-gun violence awareness campaign, and the SAY IT LOUD national initiative to promote Black Pride and Positive Cultural Identity to Black youth funded by the Canadian Department of Heritage.

———- 30 ————

I don't say this from experience. I say this because of the unspeakably brutal images and news reports we're seeing every day. And I say this because I've always tried my best to be an active listener - and I believe first-person stories and accounts from members, friends, and colleagues.

I now know that many of my own life experiences and successes - no matter how common and achievable I may have thought them to be for everyone - were born out of privilege. A privilege that Black people have never known.

OPSEU has always fought for social justice. It's a big part of why I am so proud to be President of this great union. Our Black members and staff experience racism every day. We are committed to learning from their experiences and stories, and being an active part of the change that is so needed now.

This we know: anti-Black racism is systemic, deadly serious, and all around us. Black people are being killed in the street, but systemic racism is also killing them in health care and the criminal justice system. It is failing them in education, social services, and in the hiring practices and policies of governments and employers. OPSEU will act. But for that action to be meaningful, we must be thoughtful. We must actively listen to all Black voices in order to learn the truth, and most importantly, to understand.

We are very aware that silence is not an option. We will be loud. We see the marches and hear the voices calling for change - many of those voices belong to OPSEU members and staff. As a union, we are taking time for pause and deliberation. We must ensure our next moves benefit Black people and amplify their voices, while educating and mobilizing the masses. We haven't always gotten it right. But we want to get this right.

We are committed to being allies with the Black community and creating real change. We also acknowledge that systemic change requires ongoing work and long-term commitment. OPSEU is taking the lead. We will continue to push to ensure that all Black lives matter. And when I say all Black lives matter, I mean ALL Black lives: female, male, trans, and LGBTQ2+.

We will create a space for conversations and make room to hear from the people who know best what is needed: our Black members and staff.

In the coming days we promise to provide details for our first initiative and continue the conversation.

We stand in solidarity,

Warren (Smokey) Thomas OPSEU President

– 30 –

These three words best describe a global community’s feelings of hurt, heartbreak, and frustration in response to the recent police-involved and unnecessary deaths of black people in Canada and in the United States.

Regis Korchinski-Paquet was a 29 year old black woman from Toronto who died on May 27, 2020. Toronto Police responded to a domestic incident where they observed a woman on the balcony of the 24th floor. A short time later, Korchinski-Paquet fell and died on the scene.

George Floyd was a 46 year old black man from Minneapolis who died on May 25, 2020. While handcuffed and lying face down, Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd was already unresponsive for 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time. ‘I can’t breathe’ were Floyd’s last words. They were reminiscent of Eric Garner’s last words, a black man who died in 2014, when NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold during an attempted arrest. Garner repeated these words 11 times while lying face down on the sidewalk.

Breonna Taylor was a 26 year old black woman and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). She was killed on March 13, 2020 during a botched raid in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Breonna was shot at least eight times while asleep. Police were in search of a suspect related to a drug investigation who was already in custody.

Ahmaud Arbery was a 25 year old black man who was killed on February 23, 2020 in Brunswick near Glynn County, Georgia. He was pursued by Travis and Gregory McMichael, two armed white civilians, on a Sunday afternoon while he was doing what he loved – jogging. Gregory, the senior McMichael, used to work for the Glynn County Police Department. The accused were arrested 74 days after Arbery’s death and it was predominantly because the video of his death went viral and community members from across the United States condemned the incident.

This is what racism in 2020 looks like.

The protests in Canada, the United States, and Europe have demonstrated a strong commitment from people of all races and backgrounds to speak out against systemic racism. It is a well-known fact that Black communities in particular, are subjected to higher rates of scrutiny and incarceration by the criminal justice system. The very system that is supposed to serve and protect has continuously failed racialized citizens.

“I am deeply saddened that in 2020, racism and injustice towards the Black community continues to look like this with unnecessary lives being lost” said OPSEU President, Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “I support the peaceful protests because people understandably want to be heard and they deserve answers. Strong leaders are those who are willing to sit down, listen and engage in difficult conversations because that is the only way for meaningful change to happen” he added.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how Black communities are disproportionately affected on many socio-economic levels. For instance, they are more likely to have lower paying, precarious jobs which are easily subject to layoffs. They are also more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses and have higher uninsured rates which limits their access to healthcare. And finally, they are more likely to live in substandard housing or are homeless which makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases. Living in poverty also makes it difficult to abide by social distancing measures. Many low income families have to rely on one another to help make ends meet. Many have to go to work even in the absence of any health and safety measures. They also have no choice but to pool together resources like sharing cars and living spaces.

Moreover, Black parents have to sit with their children and explain to them that they may be stopped, arrested or even shot because of their skin colour.

“These are the realities for Black people living in North America today” said Peter Thompson, Chair of OPSEU’s Coalition of Racialized Workers. “Fixing the underlying conditions of systemic racism, all of which date back to when Black people were first brought here as slaves, is the reason for these protests” he added.

To be ‘shocked’ is not enough. To be ‘wowed’ is not a sign of solidarity. To be ‘complacent’ is not acceptable. But more importantly, to remain silent is a condonation that basic injustice and basic discrimination towards Black people does not exist. It is time to put an end to this unfair treatment because Black lives matter.

—– 30 —–

On behalf of our Sheridan faculty, counsellors and librarians, Local 244 of OPSEU stands in support of our LGBTQ+ community and is proud to be a part of the Pride Month 2020 celebrations.

As a union, we both believe in and promote equality and a harassment-free work environment, along with tackling discrimination in our communities, unions and homes.

The OPSEU Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel is an alliance that provides representation and support to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, asexual, queer, questioning, two-spirited (LGBTTIAQQ2S) members.

One of Rainbow Alliance’s initiatives is a Safe Schools Campaign where members are working to make schools safe and inclusive for all and encourages schools to adopt proactive discrimination and harassment policies, along with ensuring inclusive curriculum and positive role models.

Here at Sheridan, we the faculty, along with ALL members of our great Sheridan community, support and uphold the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion for all.

Happy Pride!

OPSEU Faculty Union Local 244

Sheridan College, Oakville Ontario

For more information on OPSEU’s Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel:

https://opseu.org/information/general/rainbow-alliance-arc-en-ciel-2/9737/

March 12, 2020

I won’t go into the pandemic facts; no doubt you are all keeping informed. There are some good websites below.

What might be news for you is that, like Sheridan, all Ontario colleges have suspended or strictly curtailed international travel. Laurentian University has closed their buildings and put all classes online because one of their professors was found to have Corona virus. Many of my Local President peers from across the province have reported that their colleges are making plans, or at least opening discussions on possible building closings and online alternatives to save this semester.

Your CAAT-A Union communication lines across the province are humming. Besides the paramount safety concerns, we must monitor and plan strategies for the Labour concerns that might arise from modified learning delivery. RM Kennedy, our Divisional Executive Chair summed it up succinctly.

Some of the issues we are centering on, include, but are not limited to:

- the assumption that faculty have the technological ability or even home infrastructure to teach online

- workload tracking

- intellectual property, in light of a mass dump of material online

- sick days for contract faculty

- complex accommodations for students (with workload implications)

At Sheridan we have started preliminary talks with the College. COVID-19 is the main agenda item at our Union College Committee (UCC) meeting coming up this Monday. I will bring up the pandemic concerns later today with our President and Vice-President Academic with whom I sit on the Senate Executive Committee. I expect that they too are in discussions.

Although I would like to have more information for you, I felt it important to let you know that your Local Union is very concerned and active. I will report back as new information surfaces. For sure I will update you on what we learn at the UCC on Monday.

Wash your hands, stay home if you’re sick or if you know that you have been in contact with someone who has the virus. These are strange times, we will adjust.

Some pertinent links:

Laurentian Classes Cancellation

https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/covid-19-laurentian-announces-its-cancelling-classes-as-a-precaution-2154599

Live Coronavirus Tracker (refresh to update)

https://ncov2019.live/data?fbclid=IwAR2X53-Ie5Ug2J83b7otMZOVM8rKLiHj_8xjYKJCKjW3n1FNmT-SuEm3Uyc

Ontario Ministry of Health

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