Quote from opseuadmin on May 17, 2023, 5:38 pm

Hello all - I trust you are well.

In January many of us received similar emails from our respective ADMs outlining the actions they were taking to reduce workloads (i.e. shaving 5 minutes from a half hour meeting).  In these emails we were also promised a list of proposed workload management initiatives and the ability to provide our input.  This does not appear to have happened.  To be honest, the only workload management items identified by the Employer seem to benefit management and not the rank and file members like ourselves.

Your OPSEU/SEFPO MERC team brought up the issue of workload for our membership at our last meeting with the employer.  We requested a joint committee between the Union and employer to review workload issues.  The employer took this request away and recently informed us that they were "not agreeable to establishing a joint committee for the purposes of reviewing workload issues."  I suspect they likely said no as any discussion on workload management would also be a discussion on vacancy management, something they don't want to discuss.  Following that request for a joint committee we all received an email from our DM informing us that senior management had solved the workload management issues in our ministry.  What the employer's refusal to set up a committee says is that management does not care about your workload issues and that this exercise was never meant to help frontline staff like yourselves.

Should you have workload issues, we ask that you bring this up with your supervisor and LERC/RERC.  Have your workload issues put on the LERC/RERC agenda for discussion - go and inform them what these issues are (covering multiple areas, working extra hours without pay, working multiple pieces of equipment, covering duties in numerous offices, etc.).  If your workload issues are not addressed immediately following that meeting, then have your Union representative on the LERC/RERC make a referral to MERC.  Your Union representatives can make these referrals without the consent of the employer.  If you do not have a LERC/RERC then still bring these workload issues up with your supervisor but also raise them with us, your MERC.

Further, should you be asked to take on additional work, ask the employer for overtime pay.  Why should you take on additional work without being compensated?  If they say no, then you should really consider whether taking on this additional workload will help you or hinder you.  Remember, none of us should be working for free and it's ok to say "no thank you" I can't take on that additional work.

Should you have any questions please reach out to your MERC.

Please feel free to share with your members.

In solidarity

Shawn

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Shawn Burr

Co-Chair MECP OPSEU MERC

807.323.3388