THUNDER BAY — Bargaining on a new collective agreement for workers at the Port Arthur Health Centre could resume as early as Tuesday morning.
"We're optimistic," Unifor spokesperson Andy Savela says about the chances for renewed contract negotiations after more than four months of picketing.
Savela said Monday morning that "We'll be discussing that with the employer later on today, and hopefully we'll be back in negotiations at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning."
There have been no negotiations since March, and about 60 support workers at the clinic rejected management's last contract offer in a vote in late April.
The clinic has said that offer included significant wage increases and increases in benefits.
Savela described the mood among the strikers themselves as "cautiously optimistic."
"I've said all along that we are not that far apart. I think if we can get together tomorrow and negotiate in good faith that we can get a deal done. I think that's got people's spirits up."
He said that, in the interim, the union has reverted to the strike protocol that was in place prior to the court injunction issued last week, which means patients and doctors are once again able to access the clinic.
