NOSM employees reject tentative contract deal

'The tentative contract failed to address the issues that matter most to our members which include respect and fairness in the workplace.'

Sudbury (13 Oct. 2010) – Striking administrative, clerical and technical workers at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) have voted by a margin of 76.8% to reject a tentative contract deal reached last week.

“Our members have spoken clearly and their message is that this deal is not good enough,” says Tyler England, chair of the bargaining team for Local 677 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).

“The tentative contract failed to address the issues that matter most to our members which include respect and fairness in the workplace.”

Turnout for the vote was 94% at NOSM campuses at Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. NOSM also operates satellite campuses in Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.

England said his bargaining team is ready to resume negotiations whenever the employer is prepared to return to the bargaining table. Pickets will resume Wednesday morning at Lakehead and Laurentian campuses. The employees have been on strike since Aug. 16.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE

More information:
• Tentative settlement finally reached in NOSM strike
• NOSM talks break off with only limited progress
• Mediation in NOSM strike will resume Sept. 14-17
• Mediation scheduled in strike by NOSM employees
• OPSEU pledges solidarity to striking NOSM workers
• NOSM workers walk after negotiations break down
• NOSM workers vote 97% in favour of strike action
• NOSM employees choose OPSEU as their union