Picket Captains are needed to provide on-the-ground organizing and support for our members. Training will be provided! Check back soon for a sign-up form!

• Picket line attendance and time keeping

• Coordinating with the Strike Committee for materials, resources, and supporting needs.

• Supporting scheduling and organizing picket lines as members of the Strike Committee

• Interact with police and security when necessary

Create your Member Portal Account

You must have your OPSEU member number to register. If you don't know your member number, contact Susan Lau (President) 

1. Go to the Portal Registration Form

2. Enter your OPSEU Member Number, First Name, Last Name, private (non-Mohawk) email address.

3. Create a username and password, then click Register.

4. If your information does not match, contact Susan Lau for support.

Add your Dependents and Direct Deposit Information

1. Go to the Portal Login Page. Bookmark this page for later!

2. Log in with your username and password. If you don't remember them, use the Forgot your...? link next to the login form.

3. Add your direct deposit information: On the right, click Direct Deposit Agreement. If you get an error, use a different browser like Firefox or Edge. 

   • It may take several days for OPSEU staff to verify your information. Check the My Profile page for "Banking info on file Yes"

4. OPSEU staff will verify your direct deposit information and approve it within 3 business days.

5. Add Dependents: On the left, click Dependent Information > Add New

Who are eligible dependents?

• a non-income-earning spouse (excluding a spouse on strike). If both spouses are on strike, both may claim the dependents.

• a child under 18 (or under 26 if attending school full-time) OR a dependent child as defined by the collective agreement or benefit plan

• a disabled family member or

• an elderly family member who normally receives financial support from the striking member.

For more info on OPSEU strike pay and benefits, see the OPSEU FAQ

How many hours/days do I need to picket for strike pay?

• Members who perform 4 or more hours of strike duty per day and a total of 20 hours per week are eligible for strike pay.

• The strike will start on Thursday, September 11. Each week's schedule will be from Thursday through Wednesday. 

How will strike payments be made?

• OPSEU/SEFPO will send strike and dependent pay by direct deposit. You must add your dependent information and complete the direct deposit authorization form in the OPSEU member portal. Instructions at the top of this page. 

• OPSEU/SEFPO pays

  • Week 1-3 maximum: $90 per day/$450 per week + $25 per day/$125 per dependent

  • Week 4+ maximum: $110 per day/$550 per week + $25 per day/$125 per dependent

• Local strike pay: $50 per day/$250 per week

Local Strike Pay Opt-In

You must opt in to Local strike pay weekly. 

What is the picketing schedule and expectations?

• Members are expected to picket one shift per day, five days a week, for a minimum of 4 hours a day, for a total of 20 hours per week. 

• Flexibility will be needed for coverage at the most visible locations, with adjustments to coverage being made as needed.

I require a disability or human rights accommodation for picket duties.

• Fill out the accommodation form. A member of the accommodations committee will reach out to discuss alternative duties.

Members with part-time teaching contracts are permitted to enter the college to fulfill their teaching hours.

• Do not perform any support staff work during the strike.

• Do not access support staff offices during the strike.

If you are a member on the recall list with an active grievance related to your lay-off, you are permitted to perform strike duty. 

• Pets and children are not permitted on the picket line

We acknowledge the hardship being on strike can cause, especially when our wages have not kept up with inflation over many years. We will all feel that hardship. 

Working through a strike undermines the efforts of your co-workers fighting for improvements to your own employment contract. 

Many of us are living pay cheque to pay cheque. This is a sign that your employer is not paying you fairly, and a strike may be the only way to change that. If you can't afford to strike, you can't afford not to. The best way to earn money during a strike is on the picket line.

Any wages earned by a strikebreaking member could be subject to fines, as per OPSEU's Constitution:

OPSEU Constitution Article 30: Strikebreaking

30.1.1 After giving reasonable written notice of a membership meeting to all Members of a Local for whom the Local has addresses, such notice to specify the purpose of the meeting and naming the Member(s) who is/are accused, and after all attending Members (and especially the accused) have had a reasonable opportunity to present their views, such local membership meeting may vote by a two-thirds majority to declare that a Member of that Local has engaged in strikebreaking, on more than one occasion, during a given legal strike by the Local.

30.2.1 The assessment for damages to the Union for strikebreaking shall be an amount equal to 100 per cent of the strikebreaker’s wages earned during the strike, to a maximum of $10,000 in consideration of the harm to the Union caused by the strikebreaker’s action.

30.2.2 The strikebreaker will be suspended from membership, removed from any Union office currently held, and the Member’s name will be recorded on a central public registry. These penalties shall remain in effect until the assessment in Art. 30.2.1 has either been paid or collected, if necessary, through enforcement in civil court.

30.3 The Member so penalized and/or assessed damages shall have the right to appeal to the Executive Board, which, after hearing all relevant evidence and arguments, shall have the authority to confirm, vary or nullify the penalty and/or forgive or vary the assessed damages, as it may in its discretion decide. After a period of one year from the date of imposition of the assessment set out in Article 30.2.1, and the penalty set out in Article 30.2.2, an individual may apply to their Local for the penalty to be lifted and/or the assessment to be forgiven. The Local may decide to confirm, vary or nullify the penalty and/or forgive or vary the assessed damages at its discretion.