Nova Scotia government, NSGEU start contract talks
Province offering civil servants 5-year contract with a total 2% raise
The Nova Scotia government has started talks with its largest union, offering the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union the same deal it offered teachers at the end of last month.
The NSGEU represents everyone from civil servants, tradespeople and corrections workers to government inspectors.
Premier Stephen McNeil's government is offering the province's 7,600 civil servants a five-year contract with a total two per cent raise.
The raise would come in the final two years of the contract, in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The province is, once again, offering to beef up its salary offer but only if the union is able to find offsetting savings or concessions.
Government employees would continue to get incremental salary increases or step-up raises.
Joan Jessome, the president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said the government's proposal isn't really a serious offer since there's nothing on offer.
"There's no offering of any way improving the lives or the working conditions of the people we represent. It's 47 pages. While not all pages are full, it's 47 pages of concessions."
Jessome isn't sure how long the two sides will continue to talk in light of what the province has tabled.
"They're at the table today and tomorrow and we have other dates scheduled so it will really be up to the bargaining committee at what point they want to stay and look at documents that are taking things out of the contract," she said.
The average wage of a civil servant in the province is $56,500.