August 4th was an exciting day for CAPE as it marked the beginning of a new negotiation cycle for its OPBO group.
CAPE’ OPBO collective bargaining team met with the employer’s negotiators to kick off the bargaining process for the renewal of the OPBO collective agreement, which is set to expire on September 20, 2021. The meeting allowed each party to share their respective list of proposals and to agree on the timeline, with both sides equally committed to reaching a new agreement as expeditiously as possible.
Overall, this initial exchange was positive, cordial, and respectful, a promising start for upcoming robust exchanges. The parties have agreed to meet again on August 25 and 26 to pursue the negotiations.
We will keep you posted as negotiations unfold.
Again, we would like to thank the OPBO members who have volunteered their time and effort to be part of CAPE’s bargaining team, contributing their knowledge and expertise to this important effort.
The OPBO collective bargaining committee was formed following a call for volunteers in February 2021 and the members were chosen in accordance with the procedure set in in the By-Laws.
About negotiations at CAPE
Every bargaining team is made up of expert CAPE staff and member volunteers to ensure members’ needs are front-and-centre in each round of negotiation. We survey members to confirm priorities for each round and bring those to the attention of the employers we deal with. As part of our commitment to accountability, we keep our members engaged and informed every step of the way as to the status of negotiations.
As such, CAPE reached out to the OPBO group earlier this April 2021 with a survey to enquire about issues to prioritize during the current round of negotiations. The information collected helped the collective bargaining committee clarify their focus and devise their strategy.
