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Bargaining Update: Healthcare Bargaining Commences as Council Files Compliant with Labour Board
Health care bargaining will begin with the exchange of proposals with NSHA and IWK on Thursday, April 15th, 2021. Following the exchange, the Employers - NSHA / IWK, and the Health Care Council of Unions have eight bargaining dates scheduled up to May 13, 2021. This marks the first step in securing a new collective agreement for the Healthcare Bargaining Unit. Your previous agreement expired October 31, 2020.
Over the past few months, your bargaining committee along with members from CUPE and NSGEU have been hard at work drafting bargaining proposals. In the meantime, the Unions have also worked to establish Essential Services staffing agreements with both the IWK and NSHA. As per legislation passed by the provincial government in 2014, an essential service staffing plan must be in place before any job action can be taken in a workplace.
As part of your bargaining committee’s preparation for bargaining, members of our essential services committee have developed proposals for what essential service staffing levels would look like during a strike or lockout at both the NSHA and IWK. The IWK and the Council of Health Care Unions bargained an essential services agreement during the last round of bargaining in 2018. The IWK and the Council agreed to maintain that plan for this round of bargaining meaning the essential service plan at the IWK is complete.
The NSHA, however, has not provided any plan, and has not met with the Unions to discuss this matter since we began formally requesting a plan in early February.
Because of this, the Council of Health Care Unions has filed a complaint with the Labour Board, asking them to intervene and ensure the employer is complying with the legislation.
Your committee still plans to exchange proposals with your employer this week. Your committee will keep you updated on the Labour Board complaint, as well as the progression of bargaining.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact either :
Jamie Pollock – President Unifor Local 4600
902-578-1564
Susan Gill – National Representative
902-562-3857