Delegation speaks out about strike during NOSM meeting

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its annual members and board of directors meetings Sept. 22.

These meetings were video-linked between the school’s west campus at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and its east campus at Laurentian University in Sudbury, with other directors participating via teleconference.

A press release put out by NOSM said the open portions of the meetings were attended in Sudbury by a number of individuals, representing various student, faculty and staff organizations.

A spokesperson appointed by the attending group was provided with an opportunity to make a statement, and she expressed the group’s solidarity with NOSM’s striking staff members, as well as reasons why the strike should be settled quickly, the press release stated.

About 150 administrative, clerical and technical workers at NOSM's Sudbury and Thunder Bay campuses have been on strike since Aug. 16. They are represented by OPSEU Local 677.

The audited financial statements for the year ending April 30, 2010 were approved during the meeting, and nine new members were appointed to the board of directors. New inductees into the board include:

- Dr. Roy Christopher Allison
- Francine Chartrand-Dutrisac
- Dr. Roger Couture
- Dr. George A. Doig
- Rosie Mosquito
- Angela Recollet
- Carolyn Sinclair
- Dr. Todd Spencer
- Jesse Zroback

The directors received reports from board committees, including the finance and audit, advancement, board executive, and nominating committees.  The board also received a report from the school’s Francophone Reference Group.

The next meeting of the board of directors will be held on Dec. 2 and 3 in Sudbury.