Healthcare Support Services Bargaining Update

Your Support Services Bargaining Committee (members from Unifor, CUPE and NSGEU ) would like to provide you with an update as to the status of bargaining your new collective agreement.

After eight days of bargaining over five months with Nova Scotia Health and the IWK – there has been little progress made in reaching an agreement for a new contract that expired on October 31st, 2020. There have been some language changes agreed to that will benefit both parties, but there are still outstanding issues around job posting language, probationary periods , unpaid leave for volunteer firefighters who protect communities, and ride share programs for members in the Halifax area. Wages and other monetary provisions are also still outstanding, as well.

On Wednesday, May 17th, the Health Support Bargaining Unit Committee reached an impasse in bargaining a new collective agreement with the two employers and the committee filed for Conciliation – which means an appointed mediator was assigned to help bargain a collective agreement.

Rick Rose has been appointed as the Conciliator and two conciliation dates have been scheduled. The first will take place on July 19^th and if a second date is required, it will take place on July 28th.

The committee has heard from members regarding important issues and has brought these issues forward to the employers. Bargaining a fair collective agreement is the goal of this committee. We appreciate the support we have received from the membership during this long process. The committee will update you further after our first conciliation date.

Please watch your emails and share information this with your coworkers.

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

Gina Boyd, Chief Negotiator, gboyd@nsgeu.ca

Joseph Boudreau, jboudreau84@yahoo.com

Christian Collins, cbj@eastlink.ca

Robert Forbes, rjfsmalljobspecialist@msn.com

Raymond Theriault, codeman@ns.sympatico.ca