MEDIA RELEASE: Clarification on Health Council Structure

Some media outlets have erroneously reported on a key aspect of the Health Council structure.

The lead union for each of the four councils will not bring information back to each of the other participating unions for consideration.

Rather, all unions representing workers in the respective sector (Nursing, Health Care, Administrative Professionals and Support Services) will be at the bargaining table together.

Each table will have a Chief Negotiator from the lead union, and a Deputy Chief Negotiator from a secondary union. In addition to the Chief Negotiator and Deputy Chief Negotiators, a set number of people from each union will form the bargaining committees. This number will be based on the proportion of members each union has.

So, for example, NSGEU will have the majority of bargaining committee members for Administrative Professional, Health Care and Support units, and will have the second highest number of bargaining committee members in Nursing. This will ensure issues affecting NSGEU members will be addressed at every single table.

Significantly, all unions will continue to represent their members’ interests outside of collective bargaining.

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotian’s count on every day.

For more information, or further clarification, please contact:

Holly Fraughton, NSGEU Communications Officer

424.4063 (office) 

471.1781 (cell) 

hfraughton@nsgeu.ca