IWK, health-care workers finalize essential services agreement

Nova Scotia's labour board has upheld the 48 hours' notice a union is required to give before taking job action, the final step in establishing an essential services agreement between the IWK Health Centre and its health-care workers.

Essential services agreements set out staffing and other expectations in the event of job action. Recent government legislation required the agreements to be in place before job action could happen.

Health-care unions, the IWK and the Nova Scotia Health Authority have spent the last few years trying to reach agreements. One has yet to be finalized for the NSHA.

Workers affected by the agreement make up about 30 per cent of the staff at the IWK, including physiotherapists, lab techs, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, social workers and child-life workers. The group does not include nurses or doctors.

Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union president Jason MacLean, whose union represents the workers, said the ruling sets a precedent because the employer was challenging the notice provision of the Trade Union Act. The IWK was requesting two weeks' notice of a strike.

"Now we know it's there, it's solid and they can't make another argument to change it."

Critical services wouldn't be affected

Health-care workers across the province are currently conducting votes on whether to give their unions a strike mandate. That vote will conclude Monday.

With conciliation dates scheduled for next week, MacLean said it would be up to the employer as to whether or not the public should brace for a strike if the union is given a mandate.

"That all depends on how the employer is coming back to the table because this was all about getting them to change their attitude and if they don't change their attitude, then everybody should prepare for a strike."

In a statement from the IWK, spokesperson Nick Cox said the hospital was hoping to be able to give patients and families more notice in the event of job action. Cox stressed that any job action would not affect the hospital's most vital operations.

"In the event of a labour disruption, our most critical services, including the emergency department, will continue, while elective services would be reduced.

"Our focus remains on working with the council of unions to achieve a new collective agreement, and we are looking forward to conciliation dates booked into May to help us move towards this goal."