Bargaining Update: Health Care Support Services

The NSGEU Health Care Support Services Bargaining Committee met on June 14 and 15, 2018 to prepare for bargaining with the NSHA and the IWK. The Committee is comprised of four representatives from Local 119 and one representative from Local 124, who work at the NSHA in the Central and Western Zones, the IWK, and Public Health, Addiction Services, and Continuing Care in the NSHA Western, Northern and Eastern Zones.

The Bargaining Committee reviewed the progress made at the health care bargaining table thus far, and discussed proposals to enhance the working conditions of Health Support employees working at both the NSHA and the IWK.

The Constitution for the Nova Scotia Council of Health Support Unions requires that the Bargaining Committee for Support Services be made up of five NSGEU representatives, three CUPE representatives and three Unifor representatives.

Unifor will lead the negotiations at the bargaining table. On August 8th & 9th, the NSGEU Bargaining Committee will meet as a council with the CUPE and Unifor representatives, including Chief Negotiator Susan Gill. The purpose of this meeting is to review the awarded agreement from health care, discuss any individualized issues for the Support Unit and finalize our proposals before exchanging them with the NSHA and IWK on August 13th.

As a result of the agreement with NSHA and IWK that was ratified by all four Health Care Unions on May 18, 2018, Health Care Support Services will have a six year collective agreement, with wage increases in four of the six years, plus an option for early payout of the Retirement Allowance. The agreement also provides for mediated arbitration of all outstanding issues.

The Council of Health Support Unions Negotiating Committee has secured face to face bargaining dates with the NSHA and the IWK starting August 27th to August 30th.  There is time to schedule additional dates if required prior to the mediation-arbitration scheduled with Arbitrator William Kaplan on Sept. 18th, 2018.

We will keep you updated on developments as the process unfolds. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a member of the Bargaining Committee as follows:

Local 119, Christian Collins cbj@eastlink.ca

Local 119, Robert Forbes, rjfsmalljobspecialist@msn.com

Local 124, Darryl Leroux, dleroux@eastlink.ca

Local 119, Raymond Theriault, codeman@ns.sympatico.ca

Local 119, Fred Webster, fwebster26@yahoo.ca

Deputy Chief Negotiator, Jim Gosse, jgosse@nsgeu.ca