Media advisory: Rally to call for end to chicken-and-egg funding situation for restorative justice program

Please join us on Wednesday, August 15, as caseworkers call on Minister Mark Furey and the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to end the current chicken-and-egg situation happening to the funding of the restorative justice program. The restorative justice caseworkers, members of CUPE 4764, met with their employer, the Community Justice Society, on August 14 in an attempt to negotiate a collective agreement. However, the employer did not offer any new proposals. The Society receives 100 per cent of its funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, impacting their ability to increase the wages it offers to the caseworkers. Last week, the government stated they would consider how the funding for the restorative justice program, but only after the caseworkers achieve a new contract — an impossible situation according to union representatives. “Our employer has no control over the amount of funding it receives from the Department of Justice,” … Read more…

New release: Collective agreement awarded for health care bargaining unit

Today, mediator-arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award which establishes a collective agreement for more than 6,000 employees in the Health Care Bargaining Unit at the Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK. The award came after five days of mediation-arbitration which took place last week and concludes a process that began in October 2016. The Council of Health Care Unions is made up of NSGEU, CUPE, Unifor, and NSNU. The Council was legislated to negotiate 16 collective agreements down to one each for the IWK and NSHA. New collective agreement – Health Care Bargaining Unit, August 2018 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 2015 and some will not take place until some point in the future. All other provisions including all language changes will not take effect until … Read more…

Member update on health care bargaining

Member Update: Health Care Bargaining – August 8, 2018

Following four days of mediation, mediator/arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award today, Wednesday, August 8, 2018, which finally establishes a collective agreement for more than 6,000 employees in the Health Care Bargaining Unit at the NSHA and the IWK. The process leading to this arbitration award began in October 2016 when the Council of Health Care Unions began negotiations on a province-wide collective agreement. The council – made up of bargaining committee members from NSGEU, CUPE and Unifor – was required by legislation to negotiate 16 collective agreements down to one each for the IWK and NSHA. The council held more than 50 negotiating sessions with employer representatives over almost two years. With your support, the parties had agreed in May 2018 that any outstanding issues would be sent to Mr. Kaplan to decide. Today, Mr. Kaplan issued his award completing the process and establishing new collective agreements for the … Read more…