OPSEU pushes back vote on NOSM deal

Striking Northern Ontario School of Medicine support workers will have to wait a bit longer before voting on a tentative agreement.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union representing about 150 workers at two Northern Ontario university campuses – Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury – reached a tentative agreement with NOSM Monday.

The striking workers were expected to vote on the deal Thursday, but the vote has now been delayed until Tuesday, Oct. 12, after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Officials with the union said they didn’t believe the Tuesday vote would have given their members enough time to digest the details of the tentative agreement.

"We feel it is only fair that our members have a few days to review the proposed deal before voting on it," said Tyler England, chair of the bargaining team, in a news release.

NOSM workers have been on strike since Aug. 16.

Picket lines will remain in place in Thunder Bay and Sudbury until Tuesday’s vote.