A tentative agreement has been reached between the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and more than 150 striking office, administrative and technical staff represented by OPSEU Local 677.
“I extend my congratulations to our bargaining team and the strong support they received from our members on the picket line,” said OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas, who personally visited the picket line on three occasions during the strike which started Aug. 16.
“The team pushed the employer very hard and now they understood our members weren’t going to buckle under.”
Tyler England, chair of the bargaining team for Local 677, said union officials are currently summarizing details of the tentative agreement and members will vote Oct. 12 on the deal.
Picket lines will remain in place at NOSM campuses at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury until Thursday’s vote. NOSM also operates satellite campuses in Sault Ste Marie and Timmins.
Issues at the bargaining table included wage and benefit improvements, provisions around contracting out, maternity and sick leave provisions.