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2010-09-01 at 17:29

Contract talks ongoing between NOSM, union

By tbnewswatch.com
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Contract talks resumed Wednesday between the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and 152 support workers in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

The workers hit the picket lines on Aug. 16. Two days have been set aside to get back to negotiations, with assistance from a Ministry of Labour mediator. Clerical, technical and administrative staff walked out after contract talks broke down. Key issues in the dispute include hours of work, overtime, sick leaves, family leaves and wages.

OPSEU Local president Yuk-Sem Won declined to comment on the progress of the negotiations, citing a media blackout agreed to by both sides.

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Comments

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WorkingGirl says:
To the guys & gals picketing - thanks for being polite and getting to the point with us on our way to school.

Being 5 minutes late is not the end of the world...After seeing how professional you are, I think what you are asking for is reasonable.

Thanks for the info - Hope the talks work out!
9/1/2010 6:05:35 PM
my2cents says:
I am unimpressed with the picketing tactics. Backing up traffic and bullying students and LU employees into making phone calls to support NOSM picketers is ridiculous.

NOSM picketers need to remember whose attention they are trying get.

And I do not feel sorry for the picketers making $700/week to picket part time when we are coming out of a recession where people would be happy to have any job and not complain about it.
9/2/2010 8:33:26 AM
jh says:
I agree WorkingGirl.

I'm not a fan of strikes... but those at the line are some of the most professional, kind, and courteous union employees I've met.
9/2/2010 9:03:37 AM
Steven says:
First time I drove by was fine, but second, that had backed cars out, which made it impossible for people turning in from the opposite lanes to get in. Quite dangerous for both them and the drivers. I hope they improve their traffic skills before school starts up or someone could get hurt.

Plus, with the lack of new doctors being put out by the NOSM due to the strike, there might not be enough to treat the injured.
9/2/2010 9:39:43 AM
xcuseme says:
If I set up a picket line can I get some too?
9/2/2010 9:50:39 AM
HBK says:
It will be interesting when this strike continues well into the fall semester and all of the work at NOSM still manages to get done.

If these clowns think they are exempt from a government imposed wage freeze, they had better prepare themselves for the cooler temperatures ahead.
9/2/2010 11:52:03 AM
golden#1 says:
First i hope that the strike ends quick .Second give these people a chance put yourself in their shoes and dont tell me it doesn,t effect you bottom line it effects everyone who is a worker and will be one in the future .God bless Canada were you live
9/2/2010 11:55:04 AM
patti says:
bare this in mind folks ~ they are trying to get their ***1st*** collective agreement .... and as far as i know, wages aren't a major factor in the negotiations.

backing up traffic is just a union tactic, that shouldn't reflect badly on the personnel, as they are just doing what they are told. It's nice to see professionalism on the picket though.

my2cents @ bullying students ?? get a grip ....
9/2/2010 3:41:54 PM
kdawg says:
Sure would be nice to know what NOSM is really picketing for. So far there are no real details. That could be embarrassing.

The article mentions:

"Key issues in the dispute include hours of work, overtime, sick leaves, family leaves and wages."

Hours of work? too many or too little because if its too many, there are a lot of people that will trade places with you.

Overtime? too much or too little because if its too much, there are a lot of people that will trade places with you?

sick leaves? do you feel you are entitled to accrued sick leave days like some government employees do even though they are not sick? If so nobody cares.

Family leaves? What is that? If what is meant is Family medical Leave, then you are already entitled to it under the ESA.


Wages? Knock yourself out. The government has an endless supply of uncollected tax dollars hot off of the printing press.



9/2/2010 6:48:24 PM
Fox Moulder says:
@ my2cents... if you have been following this story you will see that CAUT gave them a million dollar cheque. CAUT is an insurance plan. They had to have paid into it to be getting $700 in strike pay. Does anyone find it funny that anyone can make more money on strike through an insurance plan than they can making doctors?

9/3/2010 1:05:24 AM
Steven says:
Hold on Fox Mulder.... lets not say these people are doing something that they aren't.

These people are NOT making doctors.
These people give clerical, and at best lab support for those who ARE making doctors. You could take the entire group of striking employees, let them run the NOSM, and not a single doctor would be trained.

And Patti, "backing up traffic is a union tactic, that shouldn't reflect badly on personnel".

Am I missing something? These people ARE THE UNION. The way they act is their choice. They elect union leaders and representatives, and they can speak at meetings, and they can choose to do what they'd like when on the lines. When they choose to back up traffic, endangering themselves and the public, its their own choice.

If someone gets injured as a result, I highly doubt the employees would tell the judge "I had no choice but to walk around on the street blocking people and walking in amongst the vehicles! The union told me to!"

Personal responsibility. Its whats for dinner.

9/3/2010 9:44:21 AM
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