Administrative Professionals of Acute Care Day of Action Details & Ways to Get Involved!

The Council of Unions is planning a province-wide Day of Action on Monday, September 25^th.

First, we are asking all members to wear red on this day, to show the government and employers how mad you are about the way you have been treated by them during this round of bargaining!

Next, please join us between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at one of the following eleven picket sites:

• Halifax, University Avenue (in front of the Dickson entrance)
• Dartmouth, Dartmouth General Hospital
• Cape Breton, Cape Breton Regional Hospital
• Truro, Colchester East Hants Health Centre
• Windsor, Hants Community Hospital
• Kentville, Valley Regional Hospital
• Bridgewater, South Shore Regional Hospital
• Yarmouth, Yarmouth Regional Hospital
• Antigonish, St. Martha’s Regional Hospital
• New Glasgow, Aberdeen Hospital
• Amherst, Cumberland Colchester Hospital

We will have signs, brochures and swag items for members: look for the NSGEU flags! It’s important that we have a strong turnout at our picket sites, so we can send a clear message to government and your employers.

If you are not able to reach one of these sites on your lunch break, or you have a schedule that does not allow you to physically attend, there are other ways you will be able to show your support: please also wear red to work that day, and help out by sharing our public e-action, which will be launched and shared with the members the morning of the 25^th. We will need your help in reaching out to your family and friends to get them to send messages of support for you and your colleagues, and to help increase pressure!

As outlined in the email we sent out last week, the Council has already begun work of raising public attention surrounding bargaining for health administrative professionals:

• We’ve already issued two media releases (one on Wednesday, September 13^th and another on Thursday, September 14^th). Feel free to share these on your social media platforms so your friends and family is aware of how the government and employers are treating you.
• There is an opinion piece on Saltwire today.
• We launched new radio ads that are running province-wide (you can listen here: https://nsgeu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/adminworkers_realjobs_30e_tag1general.mp3
• We have an advertisement running in The Chronicle Herald tomorrow (keep an eye out!)

So, what else can you do to help?

• If you’re located in HRM, consider attending the fireside “tea & chat” with Allan MacMaster on Tuesday, September 19^th at 6 p.m. at the Hillside Wesleyan Church. He is the Finance Minister and Minister of Labour Relations. This is event is being held in a church, so it is important that we are mindful of that: we aren’t asking members to picket this event, but rather, to attend and ask questions of the Minister. Here are a few things you could ask him:
  • Why does his government think the nurses should be leading in Atlantic Canada in terms of pay, but not administrative professionals?
  • Bring a copy of a recent paystub and ask him how he would balance a household budget with your take-home pay;
  • How did government end up with $2 billion in extra revenue, and why isn’t that being shared with frontline workers like you?
• We have seen a number of really powerful posts members have made on Facebook about the value of your work. Please consider sending these in as Letters to the Editor (please be mindful of not disparaging your employer in these letters. Rather, focus on your responsibilities, compensation, and how that impacts you and your family). You can submit to The Chronicle Herald/Saltwire here: https://www.saltwire.com/contact-us/
• If you’ve already sent in a letter via our member e-action, thank you! If not, please do so as soon as possible. We want to make sure politicians’ email boxes are flooded with letters on this issue.
• Keep an eye on your email for further information from us!

Thank you, and looking forward to seeing all of you (in person and virtually) during our Day of Action!