The last of Nova Scotia’s major healthcare unions will sit down for negotiations with the health authority in October
The last of Nova Scotia’s major healthcare unions will sit down for negotiations with the province’s health authority in October, according to a CBC News report.
More than a year ago, Nova Scotia’s district health authorities merged and 50 collective agreements for healthcare unions expired, CBC reported. Since then, the Nova Scotia Health Authority has accused the unions of refusing to bargain and requested that the labour board get involved in the process.
But now Tracey Ungar, the health authority’s director of labour relations, says there’s “a dialogue” between the two sides, CBC News reported.
“I know both sides are working diligently to be prepared so that we can sit down and exchange proposals as we get together,” Ungar said.
And Jason MacLean, president of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees’ Union, said his union and the health authority were already talking when the labour board was called in.
“As I said before, the employer’s labour board complaint was unnecessary,” MacLean told CBC.
The delay was partly because the unions didn’t want to start bargaining before “essential service” agreements were in place, CBC reported. Those agreements define the minimum required staff levels in case of a work stoppage. The essential service agreements aren’t finalized yet, but MacLean says progress has been made.
“There’s still a lot to do, but we feel comfortable enough to get to the table and work things through,” he told CBC.
More than a year ago, Nova Scotia’s district health authorities merged and 50 collective agreements for healthcare unions expired, CBC reported. Since then, the Nova Scotia Health Authority has accused the unions of refusing to bargain and requested that the labour board get involved in the process.
But now Tracey Ungar, the health authority’s director of labour relations, says there’s “a dialogue” between the two sides, CBC News reported.
“I know both sides are working diligently to be prepared so that we can sit down and exchange proposals as we get together,” Ungar said.
And Jason MacLean, president of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees’ Union, said his union and the health authority were already talking when the labour board was called in.
“As I said before, the employer’s labour board complaint was unnecessary,” MacLean told CBC.
The delay was partly because the unions didn’t want to start bargaining before “essential service” agreements were in place, CBC reported. Those agreements define the minimum required staff levels in case of a work stoppage. The essential service agreements aren’t finalized yet, but MacLean says progress has been made.
“There’s still a lot to do, but we feel comfortable enough to get to the table and work things through,” he told CBC.
