THUNDER BAY — Forty-one medical education faculty, professional staff and librarians at NOSM University in Thunder Bay and Sudbury have given their bargaining team a strike mandate in the midst of ongoing negotiations with administration on a new collective agreement.
In an announcement Wednesday, the NOSM U Faculty and Staff Association – members of Unit 1 of OPSEU Local 677 – said the the vote was 100 per cent in favour of a walkout.
It accused the university administration of trying to remove rights in the areas of job security and resources for teaching and research, among others, and said this would create working conditions below the standard of medical schools in southern Ontario.
"Our members are disappointed that administration is attempting to seriously degrade the quality of education at NOSM U by attacking faculty and professional staff who teach our students, develop innovative northern-centric programming, and support students on their journeys to becoming physicians," said Darrel Manitowabi, president of the faculty and professional staff association bargaining unit.
In an interview, he clarified that "We're particularly focused on the working conditions, compensation and benefits, and we are concerned that it will compromise the quality education that we offer...We believe the working conditions should be the same as in the other medical schools. There's also the issue of autonomy in the workplace for academic freedom, and questions around workload."
OPSEU Local 677 president Nicole Bessette added in a statement that "the NOSM U administration must work with us to create the best medical school in and for the North, which starts with a fair collective agreement."
When NOSM University was created last year, the parties agreed to extend the existing collective agreement by one year, but it expired on June 30.
NOSM U issued a statement saying it values the dedication and hard work of its faculty and staff, and that the concerns outlined in the union's announcement "underscore the importance of a vibrant and inclusive academic environment."
It said the university administration shares the common goal of nurturing an institution that upholds the highest standards of education and research.
"We remain committed to proceeding in good faith and to finding common ground aimed at arriving at a fair and equitable resolution." the statement added.
NOTE: A previous version of this story has been updated to include portions of a statement issued by NOSM U administration
