The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is thrilled to be the recipient of the prestigious national 2010 IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award, winning gold in the category of Education.

Each year, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and Deloitte present awards designed to formally reward excellence in leadership within the public sector in Canada. The awards recognize the important work that is being done in the public sector and how it affects Canadian citizens.

With the 2010 IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Award, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine was recognized for the leadership it has demonstrated in creating a bold new approach to medical education. This approach, which was the creation of a medical school founded on a distinctive model of distributed, community engaged learning, is designed to ensure success in responding to the health needs of the geographically, socially and culturally diverse Northern Ontario communities.

On behalf of the School, Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean, expressed his gratitude, and called attention to the importance of effective leaders in the development of this made-in-the North solution to contributing to the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario. “It is truly an honour for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to receive the 2010 IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Award acknowledging the School’s leadership in innovative medical education. This Award represents richly deserved recognition of the hard work, commitment and accomplishments of all NOSM leaders, particularly the School’s Senior Leadership Group in moving NOSM towards achieving its vision of Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North.”

The Award was accepted on behalf of NOSM by Dr. Roger Strasser, Dean, and Dr. Maureen Topps, Senior Associate Dean of NOSM’s East Campus and Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education in Toronto on November 4, 2010.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the ratification of a first collective agreement covering approximately 150 office, clerical, administrative, technical and service positions at the School.

The OPSEU Staff Unit voted 78.2 percent in favour of the tentative agreement on November 5, 2010, and the agreement was ratified by NOSM’s Board of Directors earlier today.

The first collective agreement is in effect until April 30, 2012, and provides for a retroactive 2009/10 wage increase of 3.25 percent, followed by 0 percent wage increases in years two and three.

A one-time lump sum payment of $2,000 will be provided to compensate for transitional issues affecting current members of the bargaining unit, including but not limited to hours of work, scheduling and the introduction of shift provisions to meet operational needs.

The wage increase and payment agreed to by NOSM and the OPSEU Staff Unit comply with the Ontario government’s policy statements that specify “new collective agreements will be of at least two years duration and provide no net increase in compensation for at least two years.”

It is anticipated that a mutually agreed upon date for the OPSEU Staff Unit employees to return to work will be finalized shortly.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and the OPSEU Staff Unit are pleased to announce that provincially-mediated talks held on November 1 and 2 in Thunder Bay have resulted in a tentative collective agreement between the two parties early this morning.

The deal, which is being recommended by the OPSEU Staff Unit bargaining team, is subject to ratification by the OPSEU Staff Unit’s members, and approval by NOSM’s Board of Directors. Further details will be available at that time.

The approximately 150 members included in the School’s OPSEU Staff Unit represent employees in office, clerical, administrative, technical and service positions.