Ontario Public Service Employees Union

Ontario Public Service Employees Union

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is a trade union that represents about 120,000 employees in the broader public service of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The current president of OPSEU is Warren "Smokey" Thomas. Prior to Thomas OPSEU was headed by Leah Casselman. Casselman was the President of OPSEU for 11 years and was re-elected five times. She saw the union through the most eventful time in its history. She resigned December 19, 2006.

OPSEU is descended from its predecessor, the Civil Service Association of Ontario and is affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).

OPSEU represents workers in more than 500 bargaining units in the following areas:

  • Employees of the provincial government
  • Academic and support staff working for Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology
  • Simcoe County District School Board
  • Moosonee District Area School Board
  • Moosonee Roman Catholic Separate School Board
  • Peel District School Board
  • Rainbow District School Board
  • Trent University, Nipissing University, Ryerson University
  • Ambulance services, community health care, hospital professionals, health care/support and long term care facilities, mental health workers
  • Canadian Blood Services staff
  • Developmental services, Children's Aid Societies, child and family services, childcare, community agencies, and child treatment centres workers
  • Correctional services (provincially-operated jails and prisons)
  • Legal aid clinics
  • 21 different municipality groups across the province
  • Casinos and racetracks
  • Art Gallery of Ontario
  • Royal Ontario Museum
  • Toronto Community Housing Corporation
  • Ontario Dairy Herd Improvement Corporation
  • Niagara Parks Commission
  • Teranet
  • Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
  • Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
  • Liquor Control Board of Ontario
  • Ontario College of Art and Design non-faculty staff.

OPSEU has 20 offices in cities across Ontario. Its head office is located in Toronto.

In October 2008, OPSEU Pension Trust was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, OPSEU was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.

Read more about Ontario Public Service Employees Union:  Carriage Rights

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