Local 57 Bargaining Update: Union Filing for Conciliation, Conference Call Scheduled

The Local 57 Bargaining Committee and Laing House (the Employer) reached an impasse on February 22nd.

The Union will be filing for conciliation today, February 28th.

While we have reached agreement on many articles, we still have not been able to reach agreement on wages and duration of the collective agreement.

We are committed in reaching a tentative agreement that the Bargaining Committee can recommend.

What is Conciliation?

Conciliation is provided under the Nova Scotia Trade Union Act. It takes place when regular negotiations fail to bring about an agreement. Either party may apply to the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education requesting the services of a Conciliation Officer. The Conciliation Officer does not have the power to impose a settlement on either party. Instead, their role is to mediate between the parties and help them reach an agreement. We are committed to reaching a tentative agreement that your Bargaining Committee can recommend to you.

What can happen at Conciliation?

The union and employer will either reach a tentative agreement or, if they do not, the Conciliator will determine that an agreement will not be reached and will file a report with the Minister of Labour & Advanced Education. If a tentative agreement is reached, we will arrange information sessions where members can pose questions and vote on the tentative agreement. If an impasse is declared, we will arrange information sessions where members can vote on the Employers’ final offer.

In order to give a full bargaining update and address any questions and concerns, a conference call has been set up for Sunday, March 5th at 7 p.m. It is strongly recommended that all members participate for this important update.

Please follow the call-in directions below to join the call:

Dial-in number: 902-492-3814 (toll-free 1-888-653-2299)

Conference ID/Passcode: 4076068

For further questions or concerns, 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:

• Cassey Malone
• Adrienne Power
• Gina Boyd, Chief Negotiator   gboyd@nsgeu.ca