Ontario government and OMA agree to arbitrated settlement

Ontario's Progressive Conservative government and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) have agreed to a binding arbitration settlement in their contract negotiations.

The award of the arbitration board includes a four-year term for the new Physician Services Agreement (PSA) from Apr. 1, 2017 to Mar. 31, 2021.

It also includes "no cap" on the Physician Services Budget (PSB). This means government, and not doctors, will be responsible to fund the physician services that Ontarians require.

Physicians have also been awarded compensation increases as follows:

• Effective April 1, 2017 — 0.75 per cent global payment increase.

• Effective April 1, 2018 — 1.25 per cent global payment increase.

• Effective April 1, 2019 — 0.5 per cent global payment increase.

• Effective April 1, 2010 - 1.0 per cent global payment increase.

Christine Elliott , the minister of Health and Long-Term Care says the government agrees with the award.

"Our government respects the decision of the Arbitration Board, and believes that the award is workable," Elliot said in a statement.

"As with any award of this nature, we achieved some elements sought by government and the OMA achieved elements sought by their membership."

Ontario's doctors have been without a contract for five years and were engaged in difficult negotiations with the previous Liberal government.

Late in 2018, the Ford government appointed Robert Reynolds, a former labour negotiator for the City of Toronto and Magna International as its new lead negotiator to head up the contract talks with doctors.