The plan to contract out services as part of the QEII hospital redevelopment project raises safety concerns, says the president of CUPE Nova Scotia. “Outsourcing the operations and maintenance of the new QEII power plant is a risky move,” says CUPE NS President Nan McFadgen, “We know that outsourcing maintenance work leads to corners being cut so that private companies can make a profit. We’ve seen it in P3 hospital builds across Canada: there are serious consequences.” The news that the hospital’s power plant will be designed, built, financed, operated and maintained by a private company was announced at Wednesday’s Public Accounts Committee meeting. “This is the first confirmation we’ve received of a service being contracted out at the new hospital,” says McFadgen. “We don’t know what the cost will be because the government refuses to release the RFP, but we can be sure it is going to cost more … Read more…

Elizabeth McMillan · CBC News · Posted: Jan 28, 2020 The RCMP is moving ahead with plans to relocate its Nova Scotia dispatch centre from Truro to its provincial headquarters in Dartmouth next year, despite concerns it could strain staff forced to commute after long shifts or be a liability in an emergency. A consultant has been picked to study how the communications centre would be brought up and running again in the event of a catastrophe affecting the headquarters. The contractor will start the work after a security clearance, Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said in an emailed statement. About 70 people work at the Truro operational communications centre. They answer the public’s 911 calls — calming callers, performing background checks and assessing any potential risks for the officers they dispatch. Operational staff work 12-hour shifts and are often the public’s first point of contact in very challenging situations, said Kathleen Hippern, who works in Truro as a supervisor and … Read more…