Montreal, June 11, 2009

Society of Energy Professionals

Local 160 of the IFPTE, CLC, AFL-CIO
Suite 300 - 425 Bloor Street East
Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3R4

Dear COTAPSA Board Members,

To help the professionals of the City of Toronto in their thinking, I am pleased to

introduce our union and the values and principles that have guided it since its formation.

The Union of Municipal Professionals of Montreal (UMPM) today has 1,500 members in
the majority of professional occupations at the City of Montreal. In fact, our certified
bargaining unit represents the majority of salaried employees whose tasks require a
university degree. These professionals fill a hundred or so occupations in multiple fields
of activity, such as finance, city planning, communications, information systems, library
and information studies, culture and leisure, real estate, auditing, valuations, etc.

UMPM was formed in 1965. The objective was to obtain permanent positions and to
establish conditions of hiring and advancement that were not subject to favoritism and
nepotism on the part of the City. This objective was attained upon the signing of our first
collective agreement, in the same year we were founded.

That first collective agreement contained most of the significant elements of the contract
that we have today, tenure and security of employment, establishment of a multi-level
salary structure, payment for overtime, and benefits in terms of vacations, public holidays
and sick leave.

In addition to defending the working conditions of professionals, UMPM answers their

particular needs in all matters related to professional practice, for example respecting
their advisory role, professional responsibilities, professional ethics, professional sign-off
and career advancement.

In sum, our experience demonstrates that the collective approach is more effective than
the individual approach for negotiating working conditions. Besides, several studies
confirm that salaries are higher in unionized workplaces. In addition to the well-known
gains in salaries, unions, after hard struggle, have obtained the following:
  security and stability of employment;
 more secure working conditions;
 better benefits (group insurance and more advantageous pension plans);
 maternity leaves;
 longer vacations;
 hours of work consistent with a balanced lifestyle.

However, unions must continue to fight to preserve the gains they have already achieved,
which are continually threatened by governments, who make great efforts to drive down
working conditions.

Employers talk to each other, which is why unions of professionals must work together.
We are members of QCPU (Quebec Council of Professional Unions). These unions
represent professionals in the public service such as at Hydro-Quebec, the Government of
Quebec, the City of Montreal, the City of Quebec, the City of Laval, Laval University,
etc. Further, we are members of the Professional Employee’s Network.

For more information, I invite you to visit our web site at http://www.sppmm.org/ and I
wish you good luck in the pursuit of union recognition and the defense of your working
conditions.

With best wishes,

Gisèle Jolin

Gisèle Jolin, CA
President

SPPMM
281, rue Saint-Paul Est, bureau 101
Montréal, (Québec) H2Y 1H1
Téléphone (514) 845-9646
Télécopieur (514) 844-3585
www.sppmm.org