Jim Robillard Union Centre: Meeting Room, Convention Hall & Corporate Retreat

Among the accomplishments of Local 503 during his years as president are the following:

Successfully bringing 17 separate bargaining units together in a greatly expanded Local 503 when the new amalgamated City of Ottawa came into being on Jan. 1, 2001. (The union grew to 6,000 members from 4,000 as a result of amalgamation.)
First municipal union in Canada to achieve 93% maternity leave benefits.
First to get summer hours for blue collar workers reduced to 35 from 40 hours.
Best job security and no-contracting-out language among Canadian municipal unions.
Introduction of "job bidding" and "qualified candidates list" concepts in two departments with ongoing efforts to broaden the use of lists throughout the region.
Workers Compensation Board service introduced for members.
Contracted "in" key projects such as the Don Gamble Centre and Solid Waste Management for the Region.

About Jim Robillard
President, CUPE 503

Jim Robillard traces his trade union roots back to January 10, 1962, the day he joined the City of Ottawa as a water purification employee. He soon learned how important unions are in preserving and improving wage levels and working conditions of ordinary employees.

Two years later, Jim ran for his first union office, won election as a shop steward and never looked back. He has been a member of The Ottawa-Carleton Public Employees' Union ever since.

Jim went on to serve several terms as a general executive member and a year and a half as vice-president before taking over as president in 1985. Since then, he has been re-elected five times, most recently when he was acclaimed to a new three year-term in 2002.

One of the first and most important changes Jim made as president was to introduce "plebiscite voting" - allowing individual members to vote by secret mailed ballot on tentative contracts and other important issues.

The result was a huge increase in the level of members participating in union votes, and a much more accurate reflection of overall membership views on key issues. Under plebiscite voting, participation soared to 80%, or more, compared with much smaller percentages at previous ratification votes and at other important union meetings.

Jim has bargained many major contracts since plebiscite voting was adopted. All have been approved by margins of more than 80% - or more.

He also transformed the union in another important way, changing it from an historically inactive union politically to one that became directly involved in lobbying municipal leaders on behalf of members.

The first union brief, entitled The City that Works!, was presented in the 1980s when Jim Durrell was mayor of Ottawa. Others followed annually. The presentations attracted widespread attention and briefs are still presented today, although on a less ambitious scale than during the first years. However, lobbying continues to be an important and ongoing function of the local.

The Concord Holdings Inc./CUPE 503 public meeting room at 1505 Carling Avenue was named the Jim Robillard Union Centre as a statement of appreciation for Jim's dedication over the years.

Contact us today to book your next meeting, office party, reception, conference or other special event.