We the members of Canada Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU), Ontario Region petition the National Executive of CEIU to ensure the continued presence, operation and staffing of a Regional Union Office (RUO) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Ontario is the largest CEIU region in Canada with 5000+ members. More than 3000 of those members reside or work in the GTA accounting for 61% of the region. Eliminating the ready access to resources and support, which the RUO provides, hurts our members whose dues contribute the largest portion of revenue that the CEIU National Office receives.

National Office plans to provide service to our members from the Ottawa office, which currently supports NCR members.

Consider that closing the Toronto Regional Union Office and moving it to Ottawa will further lessen the representative’s accessibility to members at the Northern District. Longer travel times to reach CEIU members in remote areas will reduce services and foster a sense of isolation and disengagement in members outside of GTA and across Ontario.

Consider that all of Quebec, with just over 3000 members (roughly the same as the GTA) continues to be serviced by the Montreal RUO (3 National Union Representatives and 1 admin staff), which is only about 200 kilometres away from the Ottawa office. The Toronto RUO is 450 kilometres away from the Ottawa office. Why are Quebec members deserving of more than Ontario?

Consider that BC/YT region has less than 2000 members, but they are fully staffed with 3 National Union Representatives and 1 admin staff in the Vancouver RUO. Why are BC/YT with less than 40% members deserving of more than Ontario?

Ontario Region deserves proper representation and service. We wouldn’t accept this from the employer who pays us. Why should we accept this from the people we elected, and pay to serve us?

I demand that the CEIU National Executive fully fund the continued presence, operation and staffing of an Ontario Regional Union Office by relocating the existing office and staff to an appropriate office space within the GTA by September 30, 2020.