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'All Local 22 members demonstrated an unshakable resolve.' - Bargaining team
Halifax (10 May 2007) - It's official - binding arbitration has produced a new collective agreement for health care workers at the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Sciences Centre, the largest hospital in Atlantic Canada.
Both sides agreed to binding mediation after a one-day walkout on April 30 by members of Local 22 of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).
The mediator assisted the two sides in arriving at identical bargaining positions on all contentious issues and - in the end - "both sides instructed the arbitrator to choose the employer’s final offer," the union reports in a update from bargaining team members Shawn Fuller, Erik Hahn, Heather MacNeil, Andrew McVicker and Michelle Shortcliffe.
"The union and your bargaining committee would like to thank all those who participated in the process of settling this collective agreement over the past several weeks," the team adds.
"We would like to offer particular thanks to the members of the Emergency Services and Strike Committees who performed outstanding work. Their efforts led directly to the settlement we were able to achieve."
While unable to achieve all bargaining objectives, the union says it was able to "make significant gains in many key areas, such as retiree benefits."
"All Local 22 members demonstrated an unshakable resolve in standing up for what’s fair and what’s reasonable," it adds. "This resolve and your efforts over the past several weeks will ensure that the employer and government take our future proposals very seriously."
More information:
• NSGEU Local 22 - Contract Highlights - pdf