Premier moves forward with health authorities bill, despite continued backlash from union members

Premier Stephen McNeil is standing firm on his government’s new bill that will merge health authorities and slash provincial bargaining units from 50 down to four, despite a week of protests from union members.

“This piece of legislation comes forward, it protects collective bargaining,” he told Global News. “It will allow workers across this province to be at the bargaining table with their employer. It doesn’t hamper at all, it doesn’t take away anything that’s been earned at the bargaining table.”

Labour lawyer Ray Larkin said the new legislation is a “labour relations disaster.”

“A collective bargaining system has to be able to produce collective agreements, and this is not going to. It’s going to be dysfunctional, and it’s going to be harmful to the administration of health,” he said.

Health-care worker Edith Fraser was one of the many who spoke before the law amendments committee yesterday at Province House.

She said the new bill would violate labour rights.

“This is a diplomatic society,” she said. “They’ve raped us of our diplomatic rights, and our constitutional rights.”

NSGEU member Darren McPhee said the Liberals have their own agenda to put the bill in place as quickly as they can.

“The government just wants to pass this bill, ram it down everybody’s throat, and then. at the end of the day, have what it is that they’re looking for. They’re not willing to hear whether it’s right, wrong or indifferent. They’re just out to do what they’re going to do.”

The government aims to have a final vote on the bill this week.