Health Care Bargaining Strike Vote Update

After two very successful telephone town hall meetings it’s clear that people are tired of being attacked and are ready to send a strong message to the Employers and Stephen McNeil that it’s time to take our negotiations seriously.

To those that participated in our town halls, either by listening in or asking a question we sincerely thank you. Your bargaining committee has worked hard over the last two years to represent you at the table. Unfortunately, with no pressure at the table progress had come to a virtual stop. We need your help for the bargaining committee to get the deal you deserve.

Here is the reality we are facing.

The Employers have tabled proposals that are aimed to claw back key benefits and rights that you and your family count on. Including sick leave provisions, health and dental benefits and want the right to move you anywhere in the province to work on a temporary basis.

If we don’t stand up to them – with a strong strike vote – they will do everything they can to take them away. And once they are gone we will never get them back.

After more than 40 days at the bargaining table the Employers have still not tabled any proposals related to retirement and pension benefits, job security or vacation provisions. This is highly unusual and speaks to the Employers lack of motivation to get a deal done.

Here are links to the initial proposals to the IWK and NSHA.

https://nsgeu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IWKCouncilProposals.pdf

https://nsgeu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NSHACouncilProposals.pdf

Please note, where the Council of Unions has reached an agreement on a proposal, the agreed-to language is often not the same as the proposed language in the links above. As always, negotiations led to changes in many of the initial proposals by the Council and by the Employer

Thank you to everyone who shared their personal stories with us about how important these key benefits are to you and your family. As well as those people who challenged the need for the strike vote. This is a serious vote.

We believe the consequences of doing nothing far outweigh the need to apply much needed pressure to the Employers and the government. They need to understand that the days of attacking workers are over. We want to get a deal done.

If you know a member who is not receiving these communications please tell them to call the NSGEU office 424-4063 and update their contact information. Click here for a full list of face to face town hall sessions, dates and locations.

We need a unified vote against this government. The time is now for you to have your voice heard.

Thank you.