Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Dear AMAPCEO members,
I am thrilled to report that I’m writing to more of you than ever before! You will be pleased to learn that AMAPCEO recently surpassed a significant milestone: we are now more than 13,000 members strong. We have added nearly 1000 members to our ranks in my 15 months in office – with a trend line that continues upward. We are truly stronger together – as we grow our mobilization capacity, and enhance the level of service we provide to each other through greater education, communications and member support and services.
The start of this month marked the half-way point in our OPS and OPACY Agreements. On April 1st, AMAPCEO members received our first across the board increase since 2012, when wages were adjusted by 1.4%. We will receive a further 1.4% on April 1, 2017. As we prepare to bargain again in 2018, I know that AMAPCEO members will be focused on protecting our collective agreement and building for the future, including catching up on wages that have been deferred in recent years. Work has begun on preparing for bargaining in 2018. This includes research, economic and benefits analysis, and preparation for mobilization and communications efforts, as well as an OPS membership survey in the coming months.
Work in implementing governance changes at AMAPCEO has remained a key focus of the leadership team and staff over the past few months. During the month of March, we held a total of 8 consultation town halls with members and delegates, and the Board’s “Governance Working Group” is preparing its final report to come to the June 8 Special Delegates Conference. The changes we are working toward will help us build a stronger AMAPCEO by focusing on member development, engagement and services through construction of a more representative governance structure. You can learn all about the process and next steps inside the newsletter, or watch this video presentation on our website.
Congratulations are in order for our bargaining team and membership at Health Quality Ontario, who recently ratified their second collective agreement! On a bittersweet note, we said farewell to our members at the Ontario Racing Commission at the end of March, as the ORC merged with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission and as such our members joined OPSEU. However, I am pleased to report that through some creative problem solving, we were able to achieve very favourable terms for our members as they transition.
In addition to preparing for our Special Delegates’ Conference in June, I will be visiting workplaces throughout Toronto and across the province in April and May – and I look forward to meeting with you at one of those events.
All the best,
Dave Bulmer, President