Pickets are staying strong as they wrap up their fourth week on the strike lines at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
“We’re very determined because we’ve been here for seven years working,” said Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union Local 677 president Yuk-Sem Won.
NOSM’s administrative, clerical and technical staff has been on strike since Aug. 16 after negotiations failed to produce a first collective agreement.
Won said progress was made during talks held Sept. 1 and 2 and more talks are scheduled for Sept. 14 to 17.
After a month on the line, OPSEU held a rally at the Balmoral Street entrance of Lakehead University Friday morning to boost morale amongst the striking workers as they head into next week’s negotiations.
“After the Sept. 2 talks ended as scheduled, people were pretty disheartened that the next days were on the 14th … but they’re remaining very strong and very hopeful that on the 14th, the employer will be able to come back with some serious bargaining,” Won said.
With cold, rainy weather and some disgruntled drivers, the days can be tough, but Won said they’ve spent seven years trying to get a collective agreement and they don’t mind waiting a little bit longer.
“The rally is just a way for people to be together and to show solidarity and to get the positive energy that comes from the support of each other and the public,” she said.
The striking support workers have been receiving support from universities and academic groups across the country and some were on hand at Friday’s rally.
Mark Langer, president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and a defense fund trustee for the Canadian Association of University Teachers, travelled from Ottawa to show his support for Local 677.
He said this labour dispute is particularly important in terms of the Ontario government’s latest proposals on wage freezes.
“The government has clearly thrown in its hand with the employers,” he said, adding the fallout from that falls on the weakest people in organized labour – the ones without contracts and at the bottom part of the pay scale.
“The battle that’s being fought here locally at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is one that has huge implications both provincially and nationally,” Langer said.
He added he’s been to the Thunder Bay and Sudbury campuses to show support for the strikers and let them know they’re not alone in their struggle; they’re joined by their compatriots from across the country.
