On June 01, 1994 following a merger to the CAW, Local 4600 was created from the former Local 607 of CBRT &GW. The local is home to Day Care, Acute Care and Long Term Care. Membership of the local consisted of most of Cape Breton Island with the exception of the Strait Region.
Many changes have occurred since then. In 1995 the amalgamation of the three hospital in Sydney (Sydney City, St. Rita’s and the Cape Breton) seen the creation of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital all under one roof. In 1996 a run off vote between C.U.P.E and C.A. W. was completed and C.A.W. prevailed. More change occurred as the result of government intervention. Cape Breton Health Care Complex was formed which amalgamated Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Glace Bay Community Hospital, New Waterford Consolidated Hospital and Northside Harbourview Hospitals. Following this, Distict 8 Health Authority was created. The arms of the Health District stretch from Glace Bay on the East to Inverness & Cheticamp on the West. North to Neils Harbour and back to Baddeck and Industrial Cape Breton. Most of the Island is covered in this Health District with the exception of the Strait and surrounding areas.
The original CAW LOCAL 4600 Executive were:
Sharon Ashe (Pres.), Peter Murray (V.P), Christine MacFarlane (Treas.), Murdell MacNeil (Rec. Sec.), Mary Foley, Valarie Bougeois, Edward Sweeney, Jim Callaghan, Dannie Martell, Gwen Gillis, Jean Comer, Linda Oram, Lisa Gentile, Sally MacDonald and Mark Poirier. Our hats go off to each and everyone of them for constructing the foundation and assisting in making this local what it is today. The Charter can be viewed at the office of the local.
Historic birth of Unifor union unites Canadian workers
At seven minutes after noon on the last day of August, 2013, thousands of delegates in Toronto approved the formation of Unifor, a union for all Canadians. The delegates voted almost 96% in favour of the new constitution, which creates the foundation for Unifor, a new national union that represents 300,000 working Canadians.