Labour Board Decision Issued

Good morning,

Thanks to the fearless advocacy of one of your fellow members, the Nova Scotia Health Authority has been ordered by the Nova Scotia Labour Board to hire an independent, third-party expert to conduct a safety assessment at the East Coast Forensic Hospital.

An NSGEU LPN and member of Local 101 who works at the facility raised safety concerns over a year ago, and subsequently, a fellow member was attacked. In the months that followed, the NSGEU’s Occupational Health & Safety Officer assisted the LPN in formalizing her complaints and navigating the JOHS process. After many frustrating attempts to have an independent safety assessment conducted, the NSGEU was forced to escalate this complaint to the Labour Board.

After a lengthy and thorough process, the investigating officer has decided that our concerns are valid, and that the employer must hire an independent third-party expert to conduct a safety assessment at the facility.

We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the investigation process and owe sincere thanks to the member who persisted in raising these concerns. We believe that this decision sends a strong message to other employers in Nova Scotia and are hopeful that this employer will finally take staff safety concerns seriously.

Together, we can make a real difference in the workplace.

In solidarity,

Jason MacLean

President, NSGEU