Urgent: Update on Health Care Labour Legislation

NSGEU was just briefed on the legislation government will introduce today. It is much worse than we had originally thought. The Liberal government is going to strip 24,000 health care workers of their right to vote on their union representation.

The legislation will require the restructuring of the four health care bargaining units, with only one unit assigned to each of the four health care unions. The legislation will have an arbitrator decide which union employees will go to. It will also dictate which collective agreement will be assigned to each group. All of this will be done without any health care worker having the opportunity to vote.

This means those in the healthcare bargaining unit may end up with CUPE’s collective agreement, while nurses will end up with the NSNU collective agreement. Support Services will likely end up with Unifor, and Clerical workers would likely remain with the NSGEU. This legislation also included all employees at the IWK.

The legislation will permanently strip health care workers of their right to choose their union, and of their current collective agreement, replacing it with the agreement of the assigned union.When this legislation is passed, it will also end any bargaining now taking place – including the conciliation process that is currently underway for the NSGEU’s Registered Nurses (Local 97).

If you are outraged by this government’s complete disregard for the democratic process, and disrespect for the rights and freedoms of health care workers, please make sure you join the rally today at the Legislature, starting at 4 p.m., and contact your MLA.