Dear Colleagues,
Earlier today, many of you received an open letter from Dr. David Jacobs. He announced his resignation from the OMA Board, and made a number of troubling assertions.
For now, I want to refute two claims in Dr. Jacobs’ email:
- Mediation has not failed. Negotiations Counsel on both sides are still actively talking. That said, our team has prepared for arbitration — just in case. The previously scheduled arbitration dates starting October 22 remain unchanged and that is because the OMA Board believes to protect our members, we always need a plan A and a plan B.
- Discussion with the Premier’s office and the Health Minister’s office reveal no support for Dr. Jacobs’ proposed split. Instead, they continue to work with the OMA to address negotiations and health system issues.
In fact, late this afternoon, the Premier’s Office released a statement (here).
I know there is more to unpack. So, I promise you I will send you another update next week. We want to do our due diligence to get you the facts.
Please understand — I am frustrated. The OMA Board Directors and I are fully committed to achieve the best deal possible for all members. We’re at a critical point in the mediation/arbitration process. This is not the time to sacrifice professional unity because it will weaken our collective bargaining strength.
There is more to tell you — the President’s Tour, Relativity, the CPSO Continuity of Care Policy and the OMA Code of Conduct, and much more — but I recognize this is a significant event and you will need time to digest it.
Again, I want to reassure you that I am aware of this; the OMA Board, staff and I are on top of it; and I will bring you more complete information after the weekend. In the meantime, I truly hope you’ll get some time to enjoy the weekend with your friends, families and loved ones.
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Warmest regards,
Nadia Alam, OMA President
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