Nova Scotia legislature begins final debate of health merger bill, protests continue

The provincial legislature has begun their final debate on the controversial Bill 1 that will merge health districts while slashing the number of bargaining units in Nova Scotia.

Health union members and supporters continue their protests outside of the legislature, where emotions have reached a week-long high.

Nancy Arsenault is a nurse from Cape Breton who’s represented by Unifor.

“We need to stick together,” she said. “It’s our union today, but next month it will be the rest of the unions’, and Nova Scotia deserves to be treated with respect.”

The government is fast-tracking the bill that will cut provincial bargaining units down from 50 to four.

NSGEU president Joan Jessome said just because the bill is being passed, doesn’t mean the battle is over.

“They’re going to lose. They’ll be able to remember that when the next election comes around.”

Jessome said her union will lose about 9,000 members.

“It can never be reversed what’s happening today,” she said. “it can never be reversed as far as how they’re affected by losing their rights.”

The government said it wants uniformity in the representation of nurses, technologists, administrative staff and support workers.

When asked if she thought she thought her union has lost a battle after a week of rallying,  Jessome said “you only lose the battle when you’re silent.”