Health Care Bargaining Unit Bargaining & Essential Services Update

Health Care Council of Unions representatives met with employer representatives yesterday (Monday, March 4th) to exchange bargaining proposals. If you are a member in the Healthcare Bargaining Unit and would like a copy of the tabled proposals, please contact the NSGEU.

We are working to schedule additional bargaining dates over the next few months, and will advise once those dates are scheduled.

At the same time, our work on reaching an essential services agreement continues.

What are Essential Services?

As a result of legislation passed by the past Liberal provincial government, the NSGEU now bargains as part of a Council of Unions. Along with Unifor and CUPE for the Health Care Council, we collectively represent approximately 7,500 health care workers working in a wide variety of roles at Nova Scotia Health (NSH) throughout the province and the IWK. We are also now compelled by legislation to work with the employer to establish an Essential Services staffing agreement prior to any legal strike action taking place.

So far, union representatives have met with the employers eight times to try and work out essential services staffing agreements. We have made progress, and have two additional dates scheduled on March 6 and March 26.

Please keep a close eye on your email over the coming weeks and speak with your coworkers to ensure they are receiving updates from the union, as well.

If you have questions or concerns about the bargaining process, please contact a member of your committee as follows:

Local 195 Uta Berthold-Brush, utacbb1@gmail.com
Local 100 Veronica Drake, v.burke87@gmail.com
Local 100 Bria MacDonald, bria.mac@hotmail.com
Local 100 Shaun Naugle, naugle.shaun@gmail.com
Local 122 Peter Perry, pperry@nsgeu.ca
Local 122 Natalie Steele Quinn, natalie.steele@gmail.com

Lead Negotiator Lynette Johnson, ljohnson@nsgeu.ca