Capital Health workers file 48-hr strike notice

Capital Health workers are less than one week away from striking, but the head of the union says she’s expecting bargaining to resume before then.

Nova Scotia Government and General Employee Union president, Joan Jessome confirmed Local 42 had filed a 48-hour strike notice with the provincial government Wednesday, and said the 3600 employees will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

No new talks are scheduled, but Joan Jessome says she’s anticipating an invitation to restart negotiations.

“I can’t imagine with a strike of this size moving that they wouldn’t call us back to the table,” Jessome tells News 95.7. “So we are expecting to get a call, we just haven’t got one yet.”

NSGEU Local 42 represents 150 jobs, ranging from nurses and occupational therapists to medical lab technicians and
social workers.

All surgeries will be cancelled or postponed in the event of a strike, except for emergency procedures.

The union is asking for a 5.1 per cent raise in the first year of a three-year contract, with subsequent raises matching the cost of living. The employer’s offer currently stands at one per cent raises annually for three years.

Jessome says in the event that bargaining resumes, members will have the opportunity to vote on any offer received.

“We’ve also made a committment that whatever the offer is, it doesn’t matter, we will take that offer back to the members for a vote,” she said. “So there is going to be another vote before we go out on strike.”

Last week, 91 per cent of the union voted to reject the employer’s offer.

Jessome says the employer will have to improve their position to prevent a strike.

“The members will decide if [the offer] is good enough,” she said. “If it’s not good enough, we will go on strike.”