Arbitrator award settles outstanding issues: OPSEU
Employees at the Scarborough Health Network in Scarborough, Ont. signed a new collective agreement on Oct. 25.
An arbitration award, issued by arbitrator Chris Albertyn, settled the outstanding issues on Oct. 23, says OPSEU.
“It’s been a long struggle,” says Kingsley Kwok, Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), local president. “The award, while not containing everything that we asked for, is generally accepted by the nearly 900 members who are ready to move forward.”
It’s a first agreement since the OPSEU, Local 575 bargaining unit was certified May 8, 2018, says the union.
The employees work as laboratory technologists and technicians, and as health sciences professionals such as social workers, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists, says OPSEU.
Negotiations earlier this month did result in agreements on the vast majority of issues. However, no settlement could be reached on wages, benefits, mobility of employees between sites, hours of work and scheduling, says the union.
The Scarborough Health Network consists of three hospitals and eight satellite sites.
