THE OWNERS' MANUAL - OPSEU

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How do Locals work For starters, democratically. Local elections normally take place at membership meetings, but in special cases, there may be polling stations. The front-line voice of the union in the workplace is the shop steward. Your Local (or your unit in a multi-unit or composite Local) decides how many shop stewards it needs, and how they should be distributed. You elect the steward for your work area. It takes a clear majority to win. From among your shop stewards, you elect your Local Executive Committee (LEC in OPSEU jargon). So every member of the LEC has already been elected as a steward. Your LEC must have a president and at least two other officers (vice-president, secretary, treasurer, secretary-treasurer, chief steward etc.) In single unit Locals, all shop stewards are automatically on the LEC. How are Locals funded ✓✓ Local funds come from your union dues. A portion of your dues comes back to your Local. ✓✓ OPSEU Locals get quarterly “rebates” from the union, depending on how many members have signed union cards. In January, April, July and October, each local gets a cheque. Composite Locals get a supplement to reflect their more complex structure. ✓✓ Rebate levels are revised annually. ✓✓ A typical OPSEU Local with 250 members would receive nearly $15,000 annually in operating funds. Each unit in a multi-unit or composite Local elects one or more unit stewards from among their shop stewards to sit on the LEC, and the officers are elected from these unit stewards. Locals can define their structure in Local bylaws, which must conform to the union’s Constitution. Article 29 of the Constitution governs Locals without their own bylaws. 8 THE OWNERS’ MANUAL www.joinopseu.org
What do Locals spend their money on A wide variety of things, actually. In OPSEU, most member expenses are covered by the central union. This includes travel, accommodation, meals and lost wages for members attending Convention, education courses, bargaining sessions, grievance hearings, and the many other meetings and events that the union organizes or participates in. That leaves Local funds for things like sending extra members as observors to Convention, child care or refreshments at meetings, publishing newsletters or other things the Local decides. Locals can also support the local food bank or a kids’ soccer team or make other contributions to their community. Some Locals set up their own strike fund to augment strike pay from the central union. Others send fruit baskets to members in hospital. It’s up to the Local to decide. www.joinopseu.org THE OWNERS’ MANUAL 9
Page 1: THE OWNERS’ MANUAL
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents OPSEU, The Big Pi
Page 6 and 7: OPSEU’s resources include: ✓✓
Page 8 and 9: Who pays for all this Again, you do
Page 10 and 11: OPSEU has three kinds of Locals: 1.
Page 14 and 15: Linking Locals by workplace commona
Page 16 and 17: Divisional Councils create broader
Page 18 and 19: OPSEU’s seven regions A democrati
Page 20 and 21: Specific interests Other ways to ge
Page 22 and 23: Communication Unique to OPSEU is a
Page 24 and 25: Connect with OPSEU OPSEU is organiz
Page 26 and 27: OPSEU’s Head Office The union’s
Page 28 and 29: Region 1 Region 1 OPSEU in the Regi
Page 30 and 31: Region 2 Region 2 Owen Sound Milton
Page 32 and 33: Region 3 Region 3 Region 3 Number o
Page 42: For more information on joining OPS

THE OWNERS' MANUAL - OPSEU

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