Meetings are underway between the Capital Health District Health Authority and nearly 150 registered nurses to decide whether there will be any disciplinary action in light of the recent illegal strike.
The Nova Scotia Labour Board issued a cease-and-desist order April 1 after some nurses did not report for their shifts, forcing the cancellation of dozens of surgeries as tensions rose ahead of a legal strike that was ended by essential-services legislation.
“We have people who walked off illegally and we have people, in fact a fair number of people, actually call in sick the day of the illegal strike,” said Bruce English, director of people services at Capital Health.
English said there’s a no-strike, no-walkout clause in the collective agreement that has to be enforced. He also said the meetings are about patient safety, as more than 70 surgeries were cancelled after the nurses walked off the job.
“We were pretty clear during the whole process about what sort of consequences, potential consequences, and also, just in terms of how it sort of put our patients at risk,” said English.
But the union representing the nurses said the meetings are disappointing and the NDP said they will do nothing to help morale.
“Does the premier think that investigative meetings and disciplinary action helps repair the relationship between nurses and Capital Health?” asked Nova Scotia’s Interim NDP Leader Maureen MacDonald.
MacDonald raised the issue at the Nova Scotia legislature Tuesday afternoon.
“Morale is already at a low ebb over there and I think we would all like to see it improve,” said MacDonald.
“I don’t think necessarily that this approach will get improvement in morale and therefore, improvement in patient safety.”
The leader of the official opposition said he doesn’t condone illegal activity and has no problem with the consequences being spelled out and acted upon.
“However, that is not the end of the story because the underlying issue about staffing issues in our hospitals remains unresolved and that’s the one that Nova Scotians want to see addressed,” said Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said the issue is between the workers and Capital Health, which has the right to act against illegal action.
“What I can tell you quite frankly, is if people were working for me, as the premier of this province, working for the government, and they took illegal job action, I’d be calling them into my office as well,” said McNeil.
“This is about delivering services to people of this province.”
Meetings regarding the illegal strike will be taking place this week and into next week.
Capital Health spokesman John Gillis said hospital officials will review the facts to determine whether discipline is warranted following the meetings.
Discipline for the nurses who took part in the illegal strike could range from a letter on file, to some form of suspension.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster and The Canadian Press
