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Talks break off – We’re proceeding to arbitration After the final five hardworking days and nights of negotiation and mediation, talks have broken off between your bargaining team and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). Progress was made in many areas but talks ended
at midnight on Saturday when the parties could not agree on the overall package.
In our demand-setting process, you gave us the following priorities: Wages, a standardized wage grid, benefits on early retirement 100 per cent paid by the employer, callback at the industry standard, equalization of vacation entitlement, bumping language based on “lesser” seniority not least seniority, training
to allow employees to bump, strengthening contracting out protection, family leave, and pregnancy and parental improvements. Although we made progress in some priority areas, we did not fully achieve what the members required. This, and the OHA’s insistence on an unjustifiable distribution of the money across our professions, ended the talks.
The next step is arbitration. In accordance with our Letter of Understanding, we will discuss with the OHA whether it is possible to resolve the Memorandum of Conditions document in a way that establishes a central arbitration process. If this is not possible, the Letter provides that the outstanding central
issues will be heard at individual hospital arbitrations, together with any outstanding local issues. We will meet as soon as possible with the OHA to determine the process. The parties also have to decide what issues they are taking to arbitration. We will inform you immediately of these decisions.
In the meantime, you should proceed with your local negotiations. If you have begun negotiations, we ask that you not conclude them or close your table yet, because there may be issues referred to the local tables.
We absolutely believe that your mobilizing efforts have had a huge impact on the employers and their team. To all of you who have been telling your employer how important this round of bargaining is, thank you! Keep it up! We are moving on to the next stage in the process. We have to move on together. We can’t
stop until we have this contract in our hands.
Locals 570 and 571 rally at the bargaining centre. Other actions include: Local 348- greets Minister Clement with picket; Local 659- 200 members wearing lanyards, 60 letters to David MacKinnon, 130 letters to Marion Walsh; 100 postcards to Clement; Local 575- information picket,
letter to Chief of Medical Staff, letter about Clement’s visit to their hospital in local paper; Local 275- letter to their pathologist - pathologist letter to Clement; Local 444 article in Whig Standard, Bike for Stroke; Local 662- Blue Tuesdays, more!
Your bargaining team
Aimee Axler, Chair Local 444 Kingston General Hospital
David Hancock Local 571 Toronto University Health Network
Robby Hersh Local 583 Baycrest Geriatric Care Centre Toronto
James O’Leary Local 106 London Health Sciences Centre
Patty Rout Local 348 Lakeridge Health Corporation Oshawa
Leslie Sanders Local 348 Lakeridge Health Corporation Oshawa
Yves Shank Local 659 Sudbury Regional Hospital
Moya Beall Staff Negotiator
Michèle Dawson Haber Staff Researcher
Copies of this bulletin will be mailed to HPD stewards and posted on our web site. Please print, post and distribute.
Authorized for Distribution:
Leah Casselman, President |
