NOSM Committed to Bargaining Process with OPSEU Staff Unit

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and the School’s Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Staff Unit have been meeting on a monthly basis, alternating between Sudbury and Thunder Bay, since October 2009 in an effort to negotiate the School’s first OPSEU Staff Unit Collective Agreement.

NOSM currently has a collective agreement in effect covering its faculty, librarians and professional staff, which was successfully negotiated in 2006 and renewed in 2008.

After a Ministry of Labour Conciliation Officer attended the Staff Unit bargaining sessions on July 19 and 21 in Thunder Bay, OPSEU left the bargaining table and requested the release of a No-Board report at the end of the session on July 21. The No-Board report was issued on Friday, July 30, 2010 and as a result, OPSEU can legally strike as of August 16, 2010.

On July 29 and August 3, 2010 OPSEU held Strike Authorization Votes and its members voted in favour of a strike mandate to back contract demands. There are 152 members in OPSEU Local 677 (Unit 2).

NOSM is trying to avoid a strike by OPSEU Local 677 (Unit 2) in every way it can. Mediation between NOSM and the OPSEU Staff Unit is scheduled for August 11 – 13, 2010.

NOSM remains committed to continuing the bargaining process to achieve a first collective agreement which fairly reflects the unique nature of NOSM and its workforce.