CUPE Ontario has recently been made aware of several proposed by-law amendments that would fundamentally change OMERS, weakening the voices of workers and their unions. OMERS held their meeting on November 14th 2019. Here is the Update from CUPE Ontario on what took place.

Dear CUPE 503 Members in OMERS,

November 14th 2019, the OMERS Sponsors Corporation (SC) Board voted on a series of proposed by-law changes that could fundamentally change one of Canada’s largest pension.

However, the OMERS SC Board also deemed this whole meeting confidential. This means, at this time, our Representatives on the OMERS SC Board are not allowed to share any details with us, including what, if any, changes have been passed.

This is not only deeply frustrating; it is fundamentally disrespectful of CUPE Ontario’s almost 125,000 plan members’ in OMERS and indeed all OMERS plan members and retirees. This is exactly why CUPE members have been protesting by-law changes that would dramatically expand confidentiality at the OMERS SC Board.

We have been told CUPE Ontario and other OMERS Sponsors will receive an update on the by-law changes, from OMERS SC Board CEO Michael Rolland, in the next few days. CUPE Ontario will share a further update with members at that time and will be working with other Worker-Side Sponsors to analyze all information provided on these changes.

We will also be doing further work and communicating with members about our serious and substantial concerns with OMERS. This entire by-law amendment process, as well last year’s Comprehensive Plan Review process which proposed eliminating key pension benefits like guaranteed indexing, have laid bare deep and persistent issues at OMERS.

CUPE Ontario will take all steps necessary to protect members’ rights, preserve key benefits like indexing and move towards a more accountable and transparent OMERS.

Our Pension, Our Say, Our OMERS.

Please complete the ONLINE ACTION.

Click here to read a joint letter issued by the Employee-side Sponsors of OMERS in response.