HALIFAX - Mediator-arbitrator William Kaplan issued an award which establishes a collective agreement for more than 6,000 employees in the Health Care Bargaining Unit at the Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK.
The award came after five days of mediation-arbitration which took place last week and concludes a process that began in October, 2016.
The Council of Health Care Unions is made up of Unifor, CUPE, NSGEU, and NSNU. The Council was legislated to negotiate 16 collective agreements down to one each for the IWK and NSHA.
Mediator / Arbitrator William Kaplan awarded people in the health care bargaining unit an increase in shift and weekend premiums.
Health Care workers were awarded an increase of 50 cents per hour above their current hourly wage. Shift premiums are added compensation earned when people are assigned to work on evenings, overnights or weekends.
The increase will be implemented as follows:
15 cents effective date of award (August 15, 2018)15 cents, August 1, 201920 cents, October 31, 2020
An award has been issued by Mediator / Arbitrator William Kaplan which concludes a collective agreement for more than 6,000 employees in the Health Care Bargaining Unit at the NSHA and the IWK Children’s hospital.
The process leading to this arbitration award began nearly two years ago when the Council of Health Care Unions began to negotiate 16 collective agreements down to one each for the IWK and NSHA.
After more than 50 negotiating sessions with employer over two years we agreed to this mediation arbitration process which began with the Health Care bargaining unit.
SYDNEY – Today’s government announcement that two acute care hospitals will close and be replaced by community health centres in Cape Breton has caused much concern for residents and Unifor members in Nova Scotia.
“While Unifor welcomes any changes that would improve health services in Cape Breton, we are cautious with this announcement as the history of health care reform by this liberal government hasn’t been exactly positive,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Lana Payne.
The Nova Scotia Council of Nursing Unions completed two days of discussion on Friday, June 15 to prepare bargaining proposals.
The Council discussed bargaining priorities and collective agreements from Unifor, NSGEU, CUPE, and NSNU in acute care. The team is reviewing contract language for all nurses, in all categories, to reach consensus on what to preserve, what to expand upon and what compromises may be required.
The bargaining committee for Unifor is pleased to announce that members have voted to 92 per cent to ratify an agreement with NSHA and IWK to go to mediation and binding arbitration.
“Thanks to the support, solidarity and patience of members we can now see a light at the end of an extremely difficult round of negotiations, made more challenging by numerous pieces of government legislation,” said said Lana Payne, Atlantic Regional Director.
The Council of Health Care Unions is recommending its members ratify an agreement that was proposed by Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK to the Council of Unions.
If ratified the agreement provides a mediation arbitration process that will aid in the conclusion of collective agreements for all four bargaining committees in Health Care, Nursing, Support Services, and Administrative Professionals by the end of the year.
What does this mean for you?
Attached is the proposed agreement, an FAQ and a poster with details on Monday’s town hall conference calls.
The Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions has received the results of the recent province wide strike vote
The health care bargaining unit members who voted - voted 93% in support of a strike,
The unions would like to thank all the members who participated in the vote, and showed solidarity with their bargaining committee.
But this does not mean there is going to be a strike. In a message earlier today, members were informed of a proposal on the table from the Employers, that if ratified, would avoid any job action.
The Council of Health Care Unions is recommending its members ratify a proposed agreement with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK.
Yesterday, all bargaining committee members met and voted to recommend ratification of the proposal to its members.
If ratified the agreement provides a mediation arbitration process that will conclude collective agreements for all four bargaining committees in Health Care, Nursing, Support Services, and Administrative Professionals.
IMPORTANT Please read the UNIFOR LOCAL 4600 Strike Vote Update posted with this document and vote at one of these locations so that your employer hears your clear call for fair, timely negotiations.
Dear Unifor Members in the Health Care Bargaining Unit:
The Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions (Unifor, NSGEU, CUPE and NSNU) today requested that the Nova Scotia Labour Board settle the outstanding issues and finalize an Essential Services plan for the IWK. The Labour Board has 30 days to hear submissions from both the Employer and the Council of Unions and reach a conclusion on the remaining issues.
At the end of this process the IWK will have an Essential Services plan.
HALIFAX - After little progress with a conciliator, the Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions is proceeding with a province wide strike vote for health care workers.
The joint union bargaining committee, made up of members from four different unions including Unifor, NSGEU, CUPE, and NSNU, is frustrated with the slow pace of talks for acute care workers, after seven more days at the table with a conciliator. Talks initially began in October of 2016.
