Media Release: Talks Break Down Between NSGEU Home Support Workers and Northwood – Emergency Meeting Called

February 20, 2014

Halifax – Talks have broken down between NSGEU Local 34, home support staff and Northwood. The union has called an emergency meeting with its members for Sunday evening.

“The Bargaining Committee returned to the table today, hopeful that the employer would meet our members’ demand for parity with other workers who have the same qualifications and do the same job in a hospital setting,” says Joan Jessome, President of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union. “Unfortunately the employer tabled the very same offer our members rejected by 97% of our members on February 9.”

Members of Local 34 will be legally able to strike as of 12:01 on Friday, February 28.

The emergency meeting is being held this Sunday, Feb.23 from 7-9pm at the NSGEU Conference Centre.

Local 34 is the first NSGEU home support local out of a total of 14 NSGEU home support locals who have voted to enter the conciliation process in this round of negotiations. The main outstanding issue for all NSGEU home support workers is parity with those employees who do the same work in hospital settings.

Local 34’s contract expired on March 31, 2012.

There are approximately 420 members of Local 34 who provide home support services for Northwood throughout the HRM.