Wednesday, June 10, 2020
AMAPCEO first tabled members’ concerns with Compensation Option Credits (“COC days”) with the OPS Employer in April, asking for details on how many members had credits remaining. The union was concerned the pandemic was preventing those members with remaining COC days from using them, and that an extension might be warranted.
The 2014 OPS contract included a permanent conversion of Compensation Option Credits into vacation credits—with members who had COC days at the time being permitted to use them until August 1, 2020.
Throughout discussions, the Employer maintained its position that members have had since August 2014 to use this time. Disclosure of numbers shows that very few members have more than a few days at their disposal. This, coupled with the government’s slow “reopening” of Ontario, has led both sides to believe that time can be used over the nine weeks between now and the deadline.
If you are in the OPS and you still have Compensation Option Credits:
- You must use them by August 1, 2020, or they will be forfeited as they are not payable.
- Consider using remaining Compensation Option Credits to take time off to rest, relax, and enjoy part of your summer.
- AMAPCEO encourages you to use your Compensation Option Credits before your vacation credits.
- We remind everyone that unused vacation credits can be carried over – with up to one year’s worth of credits transferrable to next year.
- If you have many COC and/or vacation credits and already carry over a year’s vacation annually, you can ask for special consideration from your local manager and/or your Deputy Minister, depending on your Ministry. This is outlined in Article 30 of the OPS Collective Agreement.