OPSEU Staff Unit Collective Agreement Ratified

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the ratification of a first collective agreement covering approximately 150 office, clerical, administrative, technical and service positions at the School.

The OPSEU Staff Unit voted 78.2 percent in favour of the tentative agreement on November 5, 2010, and the agreement was ratified by NOSM’s Board of Directors earlier today.

The first collective agreement is in effect until April 30, 2012, and provides for a retroactive 2009/10 wage increase of 3.25 percent, followed by 0 percent wage increases in years two and three.

A one-time lump sum payment of $2,000 will be provided to compensate for transitional issues affecting current members of the bargaining unit, including but not limited to hours of work, scheduling and the introduction of shift provisions to meet operational needs.

The wage increase and payment agreed to by NOSM and the OPSEU Staff Unit comply with the Ontario government’s policy statements that specify “new collective agreements will be of at least two years duration and provide no net increase in compensation for at least two years.”

It is anticipated that a mutually agreed upon date for the OPSEU Staff Unit employees to return to work will be finalized shortly.