Nova Scotia warns of possible health-care strike

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The Nova Scotia government is warning of a possible health-care strike if ongoing bargaining discussions do not result in a deal.

According to an open letter from Minister of Health and Wellness Michelle Thompson to the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK Health Centre, the province is engaged in negotiations with the Council of Health Care Unions – led by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) – which represents 9,000 members from CUPE, Unifor and NSGEU. The last day of scheduled bargaining is Thursday.

“The Province is focused on the interests of patients and employees - which means we want to ensure a settlement is reached,” Thompson writes. “I am hopeful that the parties will have a productive day and ultimately reach a recommended tentative agreement. That said, hope is not a strategy and, sadly, I find myself compelled to urge you to begin to plan for labour disruption.

“It shouldn’t come to this, but it might.”

In a news release, NSGEU said it has tried to conclude an essential services agreement – which would allow health-care workers to participate in a legal strike – with Nova Scotia Health since last October. It noted a main area of disagreement is the staffing plan.

“The Council and the Health Authority met virtually on 11 occasions between Nov. 22, 2023 and June 25, 2024, to review the Employer’s staffing proposals,” the release reads. “As well, the parties exchanged documents before and after their meetings. Finally, on Aug. 14 and 15, 2024 the Council and The Health Authority met with Conciliators from the Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration to discuss the staffing proposals of the Health Authority.

“Despite all of this effort, the Council and the Health Authority have been unable to conclude in an agreement on the essential services staffing plan. Approximately 44 percent of the staffing proposal of the Employer remains in dispute.”

Thompson said the Progressive Conservative government has made 288 public sector collective agreements in the last three years.

“This is uncharted territory for our Government,” she said. “The 288 agreements reached were the result of tough, but fair dealings between willing parties. We remain a willing party. Significant wage increases are on the table.

“At the same time, we have to be mindful of the taxpayer and make sure that we only commit to what is affordable to taxpayers, now and into the future. We fully expect our negotiating partner to understand that a deal must be fair for all Nova Scotians, as well as the employees. The reality is that with a staggering provincial deficit, there is just no more to offer. We simply can’t sweeten the offer because the taxpayer is already stretched to their limit.”

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