Local 20 – NSGEU Filing Bargaining in Bad Faith

Your Bargaining Committee met with your employer on February 24, 2014.  This was our second day of negotiations and we were expecting the employer to respond to the proposals we had presented them with on January 15th .  Instead, early in the morning the employer’s Chief Negotiator advised the employer was still attempting to confirm their mandate and requested a late start.  At 11:45 the employer’s Chief Negotiator, sans his committee, met with your Local 20  Bargaining Committee.  He presented us with the employer’s only and final offer:  a monetary package of 2%, 2.5% and 3% (3 year agreement), on the basis that all other proposals would be taken off the table and the Bargaining Committee would recommend the settlement.  He confirmed there would be no discussions on any of the Union’s proposals.

Although your bargaining committee was extremely disappointed we were not totally surprised by the antics which took place, as similar incidents have taken place at other negotiating tables in the days beforehand.  Your committee is of the belief that government is manipulating the process for the sole purpose of justifying its political agenda to introduce legislation aimed at weakening the bargaining power of your union.  As the employer has denied your Local the right to negotiate working conditions we will be filing a bad faith bargaining complaint with the Labour Board, as well as applying for conciliation.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of your Bargaining Committee or the NSGEU at 424-4063 (toll free 1-877-556-7438), or e-mail us at inquiry@nsgeu.ca.

Bargaining Committee:

Cindy Furey               cindy.furey@cdha.nshealth.ca

Brenda MacKay        brendaG.mackay@cdha.nshealth.ca

Maureen Merchant    maureen.merchant@cdha.nshealth.ca

Jo-Ann Bailey, Chief Negotiator

1-877-556-7438

jbailey@nsgeu.ca