• In memory of Adam Habayeb

    April 21, 2017

    We regret to inform members of the passing of Adam Habayeb. Brother Habayeb dedicated more than 30 years of his life to advancing our union as both a unit director and delegate at Ontario Hydro and subsequently the OPG and Kinetrics Locals. His SEP experience also included membership in OPGN 2005 Bargaining Team, OPGN JRPT ...

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  • Retirements: April 2017

    April 20, 2017

    Congratulations to all retirees. The Society of United Professionals wishes you a long, happy and healthy next phase of your life. The following members recently retired: Last Name First Name Company Barr Elizabeth (Betty) OEB McMeekin Leonard (Dan) Hydro One Millstein Michael ESA Zikic Vojislav OPG  

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  • Global Energy Labour News: April 2017

    April 20, 2017

    Sri Lanka: 30 energy unions threaten all-out strike Kenya: Energy strike threatened if collective agreement not implemented Australia: Dirtiest coal plant closes deepening energy shortage South Africa: Strike threatened over coal plant shut downs

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  • April 28 is Day of Mourning

    April 20, 2017

    All SEP members are encouraged to participate in their local Day of Mourning ceremony. The Day of Mourning is marked on April 28 of each year to commemorate workers killed and injured on the job. Look for information from your local representatives and employer about the time and location of Day of Mourning ceremonies near you. This ...

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  • Dozens learn to lobby in Bruce County

    April 20, 2017

    Dozens of members and pensioners in the Bruce County area turned out for SEP’s latest session on how to lobby your elected officials. Canadian Labour Congress’s Erin Harrison and Ontario Federation of Labour’s Melisa Bayon trained about 40 Bruce Power and OPG Local members and pensioners in attendance. With briefings on the efforts to stop Bill ...

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  • A sea of red for Equal Pay Day

    April 20, 2017

    Hundreds of members participated in Equal Pay Day on April 11 by showing their support for closing the pay gap between women and men. Equal Pay Day is the day on which the average Canadian woman earns the same amount of money the average Canadian man earned in the previous calendar year. In 2016, it meant ...

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  • SEP members support DGR

    April 20, 2017

    As decision-makers get closer to a verdict over where low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste will be stored, SEP members are speaking up in support of OPG’s top-rated site in Kincardine. In a CTV W5 television special on OPG’s plan to build a deep geologic repository (DGR) 680 meters below ground, SEP members Mike ...

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  • March for Science on Saturday

    April 20, 2017

    SEP members are encouraged to attend a March for Science rally happening near them on Saturday, April 22 at 11AM. Marches are planned in Toronto, Ottawa, Sudbury, Hamilton, London, Windsor and Kitchener-Waterloo. Click here for a map with contact information for each rally. SEP’s International union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, announced it will ...

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  • Minister takes tour of Pickering

    April 20, 2017

    Contributed by: Ralph Chatoor, OPG Local Unit Director Minister of Energy Glenn Thibeault visited the Pickering Nuclear Generation Station (PNGS) on April 10 for a tour of the facility and chance to meet key stakeholders. Also in attendance was the Mayor of Pickering David Ryan. SEP was represented by President Scott Travers and OPG Local Unit Directors ...

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  • Are you a young professional?

    April 20, 2017

    SEP members have expressed an interest in creating a Society-wide Young Professionals Network for those who are 35 and under. The union is excited to support this and is looking to all members to determine who is interested and what the committee should work on. To help make the most out of this opportunity, SEP is ...

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  • Update on Bill C-27 pension legislation

    April 20, 2017

    Just before Christmas last year it came to light that the Trudeau government was trying to play Grinch with defined benefit pensions — the most secure pensions in Canada. Thanks to thousands of Canadians speaking out, including more than 500 SEP members, the Trudeau government hit the brakes on Bill C-27 to do consultation on ...

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  • LAO Interim Local Committee Election

    March 21, 2017

    KEY POINTS Since a majority of LAO lawyers voted to be represented by the Society, we will be represented by the Society as our bargaining agent. Being a member is voluntary. Membership allows you to vote, run for office, serve on union committees, and benefit from the affinity program that provides access to discounts. It allows ...

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  • Framework Agreement Update – March 2017

    March 21, 2017

    Since lawyers are outside the Ontario Labour Relations Act, a ‘Framework Agreement’ is required as an enabling document (or a ‘substitute’ for the LRA) under which LAO lawyers’ negotiations for a collective agreement will take place. The parties met with Arbitrator Bill Kaplan on March 7 but did not reach a mediated resolution of their differences with ...

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  • SEP marched for International Women’s Day

    March 16, 2017

    On March 11, almost 11,000 people braved cold weather to participate in the International Women’s Day Toronto march, the largest in North America. The SEP Women’s Committee, Sisters in Society, was an official sponsor of the event. This year’s theme was Stop the Hate, Unite the Fight, Build the Resistance, Unity is Power. Every year, ...

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  • Dozens of members took part in lobby training

    March 15, 2017

    More than 80 members from 30 electoral districts attended workshops in Toronto and Oshawa this month on how to lobby their elected officials. Hosted by SEP, the training was run by representatives from the Ontario Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress. Trainings are coming to other regions soon, including in Bruce County on April 12. Members ...

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  • Dianne Mowat received SIS award

    March 15, 2017

    The 2017 recipient of Sisters in Society’s (SIS) award for women’s advancement is Dianne Mowat, the recently retired vice president of the Inergi Local. The SIS Award is given annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality. In the award’s inscription SIS noted, “Dianne Mowat is the ...

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  • LGBTQ2 workshop the beginning of a new conversation

    March 15, 2017

    On Saturday, March 4, SEP hosted its first ever LGBTQ2 workshop with speakers from Egale Canada, UFCW, CUPE and IASTE.  The speakers spoke openly on difficult topics, including bullying, hate crimes, and dealing with homophobia, and ended on a positive note about how equity committees are the “catalyst” to getting positive changes in our workplaces. “I ...

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  • Get involved in your local labour council

    March 15, 2017

    Do you care about local issues in your community? Do you want to meet other people interested in your area who care about fairness for working people? That’s what labour councils are all about. Labour councils are defined by geographic areas and composed of members from many different unions. They focus on local issues and ...

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  • IFPTE backs March for Science

    March 15, 2017

    SEP’s International union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, announced it will be a partner of the global March for Science planned in cities around the world on April 22. The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. As a diverse, nonpartisan group, participants ...

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  • 2017 Dues Adjustment Notice

    March 15, 2017

    In accordance with The Society of United Professionals’ dues setting policy, on April 1, 2017, the annual dues adjustment comes into effect. The dues adjustment formula, as set by members in the March 2013 referendum, is calculated as the weighted average of all economic increases gained by members in new collective agreements achieved during the ...

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