Calling All Ontario Opticians

**godin33** · 05-08-2009, 08:49 PM

The Association needs you!! For those of you who are members, we are in a membership drive...... did you get the email?!

For those of you who are not members.......... what's stopping you?
We are trying to make being a member of the Ontario Opticians Association even sweeter.
Mind you being a member isn't all about perks... being a member of the Association is being a part of a VOICE that represents YOU as a professional.

I get the impression talking to fellow Opticians, that it's assumed the College of Opticians of Ontario is all you need to be a part of.
As hard as the College works in Ontario, they work in the publics interest......not ours.
We need the Association because they work in the interest of the Opticians!!
Unfortunately the % of Ontario Opticians who are members is low.....no support means no voice...... we need more support!!
Any body interested? PM ME!
Questions? PM ME!!

Gnight!
:)

**For-Life** · 05-08-2009, 09:28 PM

Just playing devil's advocate, but what voices are being expressed by the association? We have online glasses and contact vendors illegally practicing in Ontario, OD's who have a forced cost structure that makes Opticians uncompetitive, and practices that are pushing for the obseletism of Opticians.

Some of these are new issues, but some are almost 20 years old. It is NOW time for action.

**eyemanflying** · 05-10-2009, 07:04 AM

I have to agree with For-Life...I've been a member for years now. Other then great group rates on insurance, they really don't do enough in protecting the profession.

They're motto is 'to be heard' and 'the voice for opticians', but seems they are both 'hearing impaired' while having 'laryngitis' for the past 10 years.

The issues that have been thorns in our rear ends for years continue to fester without anyone stepping up to the plate and taking any type of action.

A class action would provide faster, effective results...now if we could just get the two O's to join forces and all agree...the issues would go away and the optical world would be a much better place!!!

P.S. What I witnessed Saturday afternoon absolutely sickens me...while driving by a plaza with a Great Glasses store, saw a moron dressed up with Elvis sunglasses wearing a sandwich board advertising 3 for $99 and free eye exams.

Apparently I've been living under a rock. Since when did Great Glasses get into the pizza business???

How much longer can they continue to disregard, insult and degrade our profession(s)???

It's about bloody time the COO and OOA got off their a$$es and did something. The only ones that continue to win are GG and the lawyers.

IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-10-2009, 08:20 AM

In my humble opinion, only legislative changes can stop the problems we have today. Read the transcripts of what happened in the BC case and read what the judge had to say .

IMHO, I do not believe that COO or the Association is seeking to change the legislation , therefore nothing will change to effectively stop the degradation that exists today .

There are labs , lens suppliers, frame suppliers , and edging equipment suppliers that are all servicing these accounts somehow even if it is through redirection. Are they doing enough to stop this ? Do you deal with these suppliers ?

Many will disagree with me on this but in my humble opinion, rather than spend money to join associations and pay renewal fees to buy unprotected franchise rights , the best way to be heard & quickly get legislative change is this : Do not renew your licenses . Doing nothing will get attention and bring change . Refuse to compromise . In the industrial world it would be called a strike . They stop the flow of cash to bring about the changes they want . CASH IS KING .

They sold you an education and charged you an annual licensing fee to give you the "right" or "franchise" to what you believed was a protected territory . They have reneged on their promise to you & misled you . They have reduced your rights & privelges, but raised the franchise fee .

**For-Life** · 05-10-2009, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Refractingoptician.com

IMHO, I do not believe that COO or the Association is seeking to change the legislation , therefore nothing will change to effectively stop the degradation that exists today .

Why not?

clearly, if they are not prepared to do that, then they are not acting as a voice.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-10-2009, 09:32 AM

,,

**For-Life** · 05-10-2009, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Refractingoptician.com

All of you , call COO tomorrow and ask if they are seeking legislative change and ask them what changes they are requesting to deal with these old problems .

Call the association and ask them the same question.

In My Humble Opinion , if you stick to your guns and persist with the question and don't let them sidetrack you , then the answer you will get will be "zero" we are not seeking legislative change to deal with these matters .

Now ask yourself , can you remember a "voice" that has suggested any method to deal with these things ?

Read the transcripts of the BC case and then ask yourself why they were even in court ? The judge told them what to do . SEEK LEGISLATIVE CHANGE .

I am not disputing that. What I am saying is if they ARE the voice, they should be seeking legislative changes on behalf of us

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-10-2009, 09:42 AM

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**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-10-2009, 10:02 AM

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**godin33** · 05-10-2009, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by For-Life

Just playing devil's advocate, but what voices are being expressed by the association? We have online glasses and contact vendors illegally practicing in Ontario, OD's who have a forced cost structure that makes Opticians uncompetitive, and practices that are pushing for the obseletism of Opticians.

Some of these are new issues, but some are almost 20 years old. It is NOW time for action.

How can our association be taken seriously when they only have about 50% support?!
Im dont work with the association or anything I just think its silly how we all expect the association to do all these things for us, to protect us.......meanwhile they've only got 50% of us supporting them!

**godin33** · 05-10-2009, 04:26 PM

K let me play devils advocate as well for just a second......
Lets say the Optometrists Association went to the Ministry and said........"we'd like to have more involvement with pharmacology.....We being the 50% of Ontario Optometrists that is......Yes 50% of us would like to have more involvement with the treatment of Glaucoma......"

Do you think they'd be taken seriously?

OD's have an Association support in the high 80!!

**For-Life** · 05-10-2009, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by godin33

How can our association be taken seriously when they only have about 50% support?!
Im dont work with the association or anything I just think its silly how we all expect the association to do all these things for us, to protect us.......meanwhile they've only got 50% of us supporting them!

50% support is pretty good. You are saying that 1000 or something opticians are supporting this cause.

I know recently the Health Unit here has been promoting fluoride in the water and brought it to City Hall. It named 15 dentists who support the cause. That is far less than 50% of the dentists in town.

**For-Life** · 05-10-2009, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by godin33

K let me play devils advocate as well for just a second......
Lets say the Optometrists Association went to the Ministry and said........"we'd like to have more involvement with pharmacology.....We being the 50% of Ontario Optometrists that is......Yes 50% of us would like to have more involvement with the treatment of Glaucoma......"

Do you think they'd be taken seriously?

OD's have an Association support in the high 80!!

You do not say we have 50% support. You say we have the support of X amount of opticians.

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-10-2009, 04:55 PM

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**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-11-2009, 01:36 AM

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**seeingclearlynow** · 05-11-2009, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by For-Life

50% support is pretty good. You are saying that 1000 or something opticians are supporting this cause.

I know recently the Health Unit here has been promoting fluoride in the water and brought it to City Hall. It named 15 dentists who support the cause. That is far less than 50% of the dentists in town.

I think the ministry of health would know what percentage a number quoted would be from the total number of opticians. The fact is ODs have 85% membership, nurses have 93% membership, hygenists have almost 100% membership.

**For-Life** · 05-11-2009, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by seeingclearlynow

I think the ministry of health would know what percentage a number quoted would be from the total number of opticians. The fact is ODs have 85% membership, nurses have 93% membership, hygenists have almost 100% membership.

I doubt the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care would have the numbers of licensed Opticians on hand. I work for a Crown Corporation off of the MOHLTC, and trust me, those guys do not have or would look for that info. Does not matter either way, because 50% is still a lot of people.

Either way, why are excuses being made for why the Association cannot be the voice for Ontario Opticians, and yet people are asking Opticians to join? Basically saying "join us so we can be your voice, even though we do not have the power to be your voice."

**seeingclearlynow** · 05-11-2009, 10:43 PM

I think the MOH would know how many opticians are registered with the COO.
the question is do you want the OOA to be the voice of opticians in Ontario, if yes than you would join and work as a volunteer to help the other volunteers who work on the Association. afterall it is your a association and you get a voice, if you are a member.
if you don't join than you don't have a right to complaint. it is like voting in an election, if you vote for a party and they let you down than you have the right to complain. If you don't vote and don't take part in the process, you don't have the right to complain.

**eyemanflying** · 05-12-2009, 05:13 AM

[QUOTE=afterall it is your a association and you get a voice, if you are a member. [/QUOTE]

We need an association and college that provides ACTION, not a voice. Currently, the only opinions the college can provide is which merlot goes best with filet mignon.

While all of this illegal nonsense continues, the OOA walks around on eggshells while the COO has their head in the sand and now comes up with the new birdbrain idea and proposes that opticians' CE credits now have to be 60 minutes in duration to qualify instead of the current 45 minutes???

Are you kidding me??? Now for sure I will need a pair of those glasses with the eyeballs painted on while I now fall asleep at those boring seminars. Are we even learning anything from these mundane topics and presenters?

Shouldn't these other more important issues on hand take precedence over everything else?

Shouldn't we find a resolution and put these issues to bed?

I'm going to develop a CE course on how to take legal action against illegal companies/activities and win and submit it to the COO for accreditation.

I understand the OOA's political position and the fact they have no voice or balls.

But, it's time the COO removed their rose coloured glasses, put down their wine glasses, found some direction and took some action. They are simply a boat with a small crack in the hull floating aimlessly in the middle of the sea, no compass to provide direction, Stevie Wonder at the helm and one heck of a storm on the horizon.

**For-Life** · 05-12-2009, 06:31 AM

You know, I think the Association needs to look at politicians. Have you ever heard the a politician say "vote for me and I will act as your voice, but I am not going to tell you what to do and if I do not get enough votes I really will not do much." No, I politician says "this is what I am going to do, and I need your votes to make it happen."

So if people become members, what will the Association do for them?

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-12-2009, 07:00 AM

In defense of the association they are good people who donate their time free .

BUT there needs to be strikes and organized protests and work stoppages and protests outside of courthouses and Parliament buildings . And refuse to pay COO any more renewal fees until there is legislation in place to stop this degrading problem .

EYEMANS' analysis is correct, in my opinion.

The Continuing education changes are absolute nonsense . Most of the changes and things the COO works on just fills up their day and stops anything useful being done .

Eyefairs and free school sight testing and motorcycle rides are not going to solve todays problems.

**eyemanflying** · 05-12-2009, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Refractingoptician.com

In defense of the association they are good people who donate their time free .

BUT there needs to be strikes and organized protests and work stoppages and protests outside of courthouses and Parliament buildings . And refuse to pay COO any more renewal fees until there is legislation in place to stop this degrading problem .

EYEMANS' analysis is correct, in my opinion.

The Continuing education changes are absolute nonsense . Most of the changes and things the COO works on just fills up their day and stops anything useful being done .

Eyefairs and free school sight testing and motorcycle rides are not going to solve todays problems.

:cheers:

**seeingclearlynow** · 05-12-2009, 12:51 PM

now i get it, you are a "wanna be poet". since you have all the answers why don't you get off *** and do something about it? i know that actually requires more work than talk and so far you have only been able to impress everyone with your parables. i amazes me how you always blame the COO and OOA of the same thing, how are these two organizations connected? the COO council members are elected by opticians and get paid hefty dollars for their work or lack there of. the OOA directors are nominated by their peers and do volunteer work on behalf of opticians, i know a few of the directors and many of them are store owners themselves and these issues that you raise effect them as much as they effect you. they sacrifice there own businesses for the sake of the profession, why do you make it seem like they have something to gain by allowing illegal dispensing? what is your motive? what do you have to gain by bad mouthing others? the other person that bad mouths the OOA as much you do runs his own Continuing Education seminars, so we know he does for financial gain. who do you work for? and what do you have to gain?

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-12-2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by seeingclearlynow

now i get it, you are a "wanna be poet". since you have all the answers why don't you get off *** and do something about it? i know that actually requires more work than talk and so far you have only been able to impress everyone with your parables. i amazes me how you always blame the COO and OOA of the same thing, how are these two organizations connected? the COO council members are elected by opticians and get paid hefty dollars for their work or lack there of. the OOA directors are nominated by their peers and do volunteer work on behalf of opticians, i know a few of the directors and many of them are store owners themselves and these issues that you raise effect them as much as they effect you. they sacrifice there own businesses for the sake of the profession, why do you make it seem like they have something to gain by allowing illegal dispensing? what is your motive? what do you have to gain by bad mouthing others? the other person that bad mouths the OOA as much you do runs his own Continuing Education seminars, so we know he does for financial gain. who do you work for? and what do you have to gain?

OK Fine . Have it your way . With no legislative change then there will be more GG's tomorrow and more internet sellers too . Read the transcripts of the court cases until you realize the futility of burying your heads in the sand.

AND I am not against COO or OOA or WHOO-a- ever you think I am against. They are dedicated , good intentioned people who are on the wrong path and yet they stick to methods that have not worked successfully in the past ten years and realistically they have not worked successfully in the past 30 years that I have been an optician.

You can not even tell me one specific thing that these organisations are prepared to do to solve these problems .

They are quite willing to keep making changes to things that are not broken because that is easier than dealing with the problems that do need fixing which they have no clue as to how to fix .

If you think I am wrong about that then go ask them how they intend to specifically fix these problems .

I at least do have some affirmative suggstions .

My methods do not even cost you any money .

**Refractingoptician.com** · 05-12-2009, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by seeingclearlynow

.... the other person that bad mouths the OOA as much you do runs his own Continuing Education seminars, so we know he does for financial gain. who do you work for? and what do you have to gain?

In the face of positive suggestions, it is incredible that you take such offense . I do not offer to charge you $$ for workable solutions ,but , the association would want to charge me to follow in their old path that is clearly not working . I do not take money from you for anything and I admit that the volunteers are good, well intenioned, hard working ,people . Yet you take offense .

My question to you is simple "What will you specifically do to stop these problems, even if you had full membership ?" The fact is you do not have any answers . But you still cry "crisis and catastrophe coming , join now and be heard ,,, but you never say what words are going to come out of that "voice" ,,, you never say how you are going to solve anything . As Eyemanflying said "you have a bad case of laryngitis".

I don't need more liability insurance . I don't need free coffee and dinner and ball room dancing . I am not interested in a social club. I don't have a motorcycle to go on your ride .

I do not mislead people and charge them $ 800.00 for renewal fees on the false illusion of purchasing a yearly franchise for a protected territory .

And these problems can be solved with no money . Stop writing checks to these people , stop taking MCSS that is over 25 years out of date , and you are going to get attention . The newspapers are going to come to you and the advertising is going to be free .

As for the other group you speak of , the real problem that I see, is that you are jealous of it's success . If we are on the same page , the other group is equally hard working and dedicated and it is extremely well run and professional. Admit it . Suck it up and get over it . While you were snoozing , they were building a successful operation . You lost . Learn from it .

What you have right now is incredible bickering amongst 3 groups and not one of them has a workable solution to old problems .

And interestingly you do not want to listen to a suggestion that might work .

It is clear that you do want my money though . I guess you are no different than the other organisation you berate . Oh, and are you both not in the same continuing education business ?