OSA in the News: Power imbalance between OMA board and sections is driving support to new Ontario Specialists Association– Medical Post
An article has appeared in the Medical Post and Canadian Healthcare Network by former ER Section Chair, Dr. Myron Haluk setting out the case why a growing number of OMA Sections are supporting the OSA in their quest to exit the OMA. A link to this cogent articulation will invoke familiar feelings for other specialty sections looking to the OSA as a means of obtaining basic rights, representation and to negotiate proactively and constructively for Ontario specialists.
More Sections Announce Their Support for OSA
Since last Friday’s communiqué more specialty sections have approached the OSA to participate in the upcoming referendum between November 25-27th. These are both small and large specialist sections that are frustrated with the inability to communicate freely with their own Section members and to advance the overall negotiation needs of Ontario specialists. Several OMA Sections continue to report difficulty obtaining the promised support from OMA leadership that they would not interfere in providing necessary membership information to any interested section.
OSA Pledge to Ontario Specialists
The OSA’s Mandate Charter and Governance Principles reflects the kind of organisation that specialists have sought and failed to secure. The OSA is a grassroots, membership-focussed organisation that encourages individual section communication and freedoms to advance the interests and needs of its respective membership groups. It will be an organisation that will choose a president elected by its members. It will be a lean organisation engaging competent professional advisors instead of creating a bureaucracy. Tools and resources will be made available to Section members to pursue those issues that are deemed to be priorities. Much work will need to be done, but a stronger and more united profession will emerge.
OSA Referendum Question:
Be it resolved that the [________] Section of the OMA should withdraw from the OMA and join the OSA to permit the OSA to negotiate directly with the Ontario government on behalf of the section.
Referendum Town Halls – Email OSA to get your Section Time Reserved
Please contact the OSA to set up an electronic Town Hall meeting for your Section to discuss why the OSA is the only credible option for your specialty colleagues. Interest from sections can come from rank and file members as well as section leaders. Find out how your section can be empowered by joining the OSA. For more info contact info@specialistsontario.com or our website www.specialistsontario.com
Referendum Update:
Thousands of Ontario Specialists will be eligible to vote in the OSA’s historic referendum to seek the choice to form an organisation other than the OMA for the purpose of specifically representing the needs of Ontario specialists, particularly as it applies to negotiations.
Referendum Logistics:
The OSA has contracted Simply Voting, an established referendum/election company that is experienced in municipal elections and other major activities. They have the proven capability to conduct the OSA referendum in a fully professional manner that will safeguard all participants anonymity and security. Specialist voters will receive an email containing a double authentication containing unique identifiers from the referendum company providing them with the necessary information to vote electronically via their section. As with OMA and other organised voting activities, 50.1% is a majority vote.
Specialists who do not have an identified email address will receive a “ballot letter” mailed to them by Simply Voting. It provides them with their authentication info permitting them to vote online. We encourage these specialists to also take the opportunity when voting to provide their email address so that their sections can communicate with them. The decision of the referendum will be announced first to the participating Sections and then more widely to the physician community.