Member update on health care bargaining

Member Update: Health Care Bargaining – March 21, 2018

Today, the Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions, NSHA, and IWK completed another seven days of conciliation without meaningful progress. The Employer’s representatives from the NSHA and IWK have slowed the pace of bargaining significantly in the past two months. The Health Care Council of Unions has become increasingly frustrated by the Employers’ refusal to seriously consider important Union proposals. The Health Care Council of Unions now believes the only way to get the Employers to take your bargaining proposals seriously and to help the Council conclude a collective agreement is to send a clear message to the NSHA, IWK and government. In order to send that message, the Health Care Council of Unions is announcing today that it will soon hold Nova Scotia’s first ever province-wide Health Care Bargaining Unit strike vote. That vote will include all 6,500 Health Care Bargaining Union members from Yarmouth to Halifax to … Read more…

Budgets are about political choices – Nova Scotians will pay for poor choices

“The McNeil government is not growing our economy by choosing to support public services and invest in infrastructure, and that’s a mistake we’ll all pay for,” says CUPE Nova Scotia President Nan McFadgen, in response to the provincial budget announced today. Provincial highway workers are voicing their concerns about budget allocations for highway maintenance and improvements. At stake is the high-cost of using private companies to provide these services, when the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal already owns the equipment and has qualified staff to do this work. “How will the province save money by paying private companies to do this work? asks Mike MacIsaac, treasurer for CUPE 1867, NS Highway Workers Union. “The province’s highway workers can do the job more efficiently and cost-effectively.” “Why would go out and rent a car when you already own one?” asks MacIsaac. “For example, the province earmarked $10 million for private … Read more…

Nursing home workers to hold information picket in North Sydney

NEW DATE – MARCH 29: Nursing home workers to hold information picket in North Sydney

Please note the new date is March 29, 2018. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1876 will hold an information picket on Thursday, March 29 in North Sydney at the office of Eddie Orrell, MLA for Northside-Westmount. The workers, from the Northside Community Guest Home, would like to share their concerns about the effects that staffing shortages may have on residents’ quality of life, in addition to budget cuts made by the provincial government. “There are many problems at the nursing home such as reducing the resident-to-staff ratio, little or no vacation time granted, and failure to replace temporary full-time positions,” says Louise Riley, chairperson of the CUPE Long Term Care Coordinating Committee. “Units are consistently working short. These shortages impact care and the health and safety of residents and workers.” WHEN: Thursday, March 29 at 12 p.m. WHERE: MLA Eddie Orrell’s office, 309 Commercial Street North Sydney, … Read more…