Binding Interest Arbitration – A New Era?

After years of wrestling a more powerful opponent, doctors opened their emails to find that government had offered a truce.

I never expected to see this.

Who would give up such advantage?

Government used to rule supreme. It could legislate whatever it wanted.

Why would government change its mind and give up absolute power?

A part of me must have believed that this would happen. Why else would I have spent years lamenting government power and control?

In hindsight, things had to change.

Government was trying to lead a horse to water that would not drink. Continue reading “Binding Interest Arbitration – A New Era?”

First Address to Council

Like the last post, many people have asked for copies of my first address to Council as President.

A number have shared bits and pieces on social media, so I thought it was best just to share the whole thing here.

This is just a starting point. I look forward to seeing where we – all of us – take this from here.

Shawn

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Thank you, Mr. Chair, Members of Council and Special Guests.

In my election speech, I offered three priorities for the OMA over the next year: trust, unity and excellence. I’d like to expand those ideas a bit more over the next few minutes. I offer these for discussion. I hope you will argue with me. I offer them as a starting point to a larger conversation.

Everyone agrees: We need an agreement. But we need more than that. We might get a wonderful agreement. But if we do not have a system—the excellence—to socialize it with our members, it will fail. Continue reading “First Address to Council”

Whatley Election Speech

A number of doctors have requested my election speech, and others have posted parts of it on social media already. So, I though it best to put down what I said.

Doctors have a new hope for positive change. They are eager to build. It feels like we have turned a corner.

Thanks so much to everyone who worked so hard this weekend!

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Thank you Mr. Chair and Members of Council.

 

It’s time for change.

 

The OMA faced an unprecedented crisis:

We’ve been heckled in the legislature,

slandered in the media,

ignored for multiple pieces of legislation,

and now, after almost 4 years, we still don’t have a contract.

This is intolerable.

 

The OMA must do 3 things to fix this. Continue reading “Whatley Election Speech”