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Unfortunately, we couldnt fit everyone in the picture. THIS YEAR, ONTARIO CREATED MORE JOBS THAN ALL OTHER PROVINCES COMBINED. Source: Statistics Canada. Kevin Flynn, MPP www.kevinflynn.onmpp.ca | @kevinflynn2011 | 905-827-5141 Dundas St Bu rlo ak Upper Middle OAKVILLE RIDING 8t h Li ne W in st on C hu rc hi ll Authorized by the CFO for the Oakville PC Riding Association ! urlington Lakeshore Event Organizer " # $ " % &' ( ) * + , - *+ * (, . # Sponsored in Part by 5 W ednesday, A ugust 31, 2011 O A K V ILLE B EA V ER w w w .in sid eH A LTO N .co m On Friday, the CEC bargaining team rep- resenting Ontario's colleges issued a press release that confirmed an offer of salary increases and no concessions from employ- ees in a proposed three-year contract with support staff. Some of the offer highlights include a salary increase over three years year one with a one-time lump sum pay- ment equal to 1.5 percent of annual salary. Year two would see a salary increase of 1.5 per cent, and year three would be a salary increase of 1.75 per cent. The offer would raise the average annual support staff salary by approximately $1,845, to just under $58,172 after three years and provide an average lump sum payment of $845 in the first year. "We want to reach a negotiated settle- ment and we have put a good offer on the table," said Gerry Barker, chair of the colleg- es' bargaining team, in the release. "It reflects the realities of the current constrained eco- nomic environment and is in line with the pattern of recent settlements within the broader public sector." Later that day, OPSEU rebutted CECs offer in a new press release, criticizing it for making a contract offer through a news release as a way to deliberately circumvent the bargaining process, according to its statement. "Contracts are settled at the bargaining table and not through the news media late on a Friday afternoon," said Rod Bemister, chair of the bargaining team for OPSEU, in the release. "This move by management smacks of desperation on the eve of possible job action by our members. Jackson is also hopeful that a strike will be averted at the last minute, noting that after the 1979 strike with OPSEU, it has never had to take strike action in all of the successes of collective agreements since then. Weve done this before, get the trailer and the whole nine yards and in the last few hours I will get a telephone call from our bargaining team saying that theyve achieved a tentative settlement, said Jackson. Were all hoping that its going to be like that, but fhaving said that, we have to go through all o this exercise because if things dont happen at the table, were going to have to deal with 400 to 450 people out here (Sheridan) and theyre going to look to us for leadership. Support staff could walk Thursday Continued from page 4 Speak up! You can comment on any story in today's Oakville Beaver at oakvillebeaver.com