After reaching a tentative agreement, NOSM University and OPSEU/SEFPO Local 677 (Unit 1) have announced the Northern Ontario medical school will operate normally for the time being.
Both sides had been negotiating to reach a new contract agreement, but a no-board report from the Ontario Ministry of Labour meant that the union would have been in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. Both sides issued a joint statement on Sunday, saying a tentative agreement was reached.
"NOSM University and OPSEU/SEFPO Local 677 (Unit 1) confirm that they have reached a tentative agreement, subject to ratification and board approval. Accordingly, NOSM University will operate as normal on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023," said the statement.
Ratification voting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8 to let the union membership decide whether the new contract gets approved.
On Friday, NOSM revealed that last minute talks were still underway and that both parties were ready to negotiate throughout the weekend with the aim of arriving at an agreement.
The statement from the medical school said if a strike had taken place Sunday morning, it would have impacted both NOSM campuses, which are located in Sudbury and Thunder Bay. NOSM had pledged to continue operations despite a labour dispute.
The NOSM U Faculty and Staff Association (NUFSA), OPSEU Local 677, representing medical education faculty, librarians and professional staff, had been in provincially mediated conciliation with the NOSM University administration since Sept. 22, but the union was dissatisfied with the negotiations.
The union requested a no-board report on Oct. 10. It was back in mid-August that the union revealed it had a 100 per cent mandate to take strike action if a satisfactory agreement could not be reached.
