Health Care Bargaining Update January 14th 2025

Health Care “Leading in Atlantic Canada” Wage Comparator Update

Dear CUPE member,

As you know, the Health Care Council of Unions signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health Centre during the most recent round of bargaining that was intended to help address longstanding recruitment and retention issues within the bargaining unit.

This MOA outlined a process by which a joint committee comprised of union and employer representatives would assess approximately 270 classifications to determine whether they should receive special catch-up adjustments of up to 2.5% and 2.5%, which would be applied on November 1st, 2024, and April 1st, 2025, respectively.

This committee has met a few times so far and has an additional eight dates scheduled between now and the end of April, which is the designated 90 working-day timeframe outlined in the MOA. Any outstanding items that we cannot reach an agreement on will be referred to an arbitrator to decide.

While some progress has been made at the table, it has been slow going, due in large part to the employers’ repeated failure to produce information to support their position.

As a result, NSGEU President Sandra Mullen has written to leadership at NSH and IWK to express our frustration and concern over the lack of urgency being demonstrated by employer representatives on the committee. We are hopeful that they will begin to engage with the process in a more meaningful way as we get closer to the deadline outlined in the MOA they signed with the unions.

We have eight more dates scheduled with the employers so far: Jan. 24th, Feb. 4th, Feb. 18th, Feb. 28th, Mar. 13th, Mar. 18th, Mar. 28th and Apr. 8th. We will continue to keep you updated as this process unfolds.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this process, please reach out to your Area VP.