HALIFAX – On September 18, 2018, mediator/arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award that establishes a collective agreement for more than 3,000 employees in the Health Administrative Professional Bargaining Unit at the NSHA and the IWK. The award came after one day of mediation-arbitration that took place September 18, 2018 and concludes a process that began in October 2016. The Council of Health Care Unions is made up of CUPE, NSGEU, NSNU and Unifor. The Council was legislated to negotiate 16 collective agreements down to one each for the IWK and NSHA. This award established a six-year term of agreement. Approximately two years remain in the term. All monetary improvements in this new collective agreement will become effective today except for those where the agreement specifies a different date. For example, some wage increases are retroactive to 2016 and some will not take place until some point in the future. All … Read more…

Following a day of mediation on September 18, 2018, mediator/arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award today which finally establishes a collective agreement for more than 3,000 employees in the Health Administrative Professional Unit at the NSHA and the IWK. The process leading to this arbitration award began following the Healthcare Bargaining Unit award and included three days of bargaining on August 21st, 22nd, and 31st and one day of mediation/arbitration. The council is made up of bargaining committee members from NSGEU and CUPE. As with the Healthcare Bargaining Unit, the parties had agreed in May 2018 that any outstanding issues would be sent to Mr. Kaplan to decide. Mr. Kaplan has issued his award completing the process and establishing new collective agreements for the Health Administrative Professional Bargaining Units. The Support Services and Nursing Bargaining Units have also begun their bargaining and Mr. Kaplan will return in November to decide … Read more…