Bargaining news for OPSEU members in the Hospital Professionals Division
Progress made but sticking points remain
Your bargaining team met again with the participating hospitals team during the week of May 9 to 13. We made progress on a number of outstanding proposals with agreement on some minor items. We believe that our outstanding proposals are not unreasonable and address the most pressing demands of the membership.
During this time, conciliation also took place. Conciliation is a mandatory process where a Conciliation Officer, appointed by the Ministry of Labour, meets with both sides in an attempt to assist the parties in reaching an agreement. In our particular circumstances, this is more of a formality as we have retained the services of a private mediator to assist us. The union requested that the Conciliation Officer issue a no board report. The no board report is the letter that is required for us to proceed to binding arbitration, if we are unable to come to an agreement.
During our final week of bargaining (May 24 to 28) the focus will be to resolve the outstanding issues and move towards a negotiated settlement. While negotiations have been cordial, it would be presumptive of us to believe an agreement is at hand. Much work remains to be done and your team remains committed to a fair settlement. Should we be unable to achieve an agreement, arbitration is scheduled for July 13 and 14.
Your bargaining team would like to thank you for your support.