The NS Liberal Government’s attack on collective bargaining
What you need to know about Bills 30 and 37 – Essential Services Legislation
Nova Scotia’s Liberal Government has now passed two laws – Bills 30 and 37 – that represent an unprecedented attack on our bargaining rights. These bills essentially take away our right to free collective bargaining and stack the deck heavily in the employers’ favour.
Bill 30
This was the first of the two Bills passed by the Legislature and was aimed at home support workers. It affects five of our locals, 3936, 3885, 3953, 3986 and 4354 but will now be superseded by Bill 37.
CUPE has already launched a legal challenge on Bill 30.
Bill 37
On Friday, April 4 after almost a full week of debates and delaying tactics in the Legislature, the Liberals used their majority to ram through a second law, Bill 37.
This bill is sweeping in its scope, forcing essential service agreements on almost 40,000 health care AND community services workers in seven different unions.
For CUPE, it means some 9,000 members – basically half of our provincial membership – have just had their bargaining rights trampled on. Here is who Bill 37 affects:
· Acute Care
· Long Term Care
· Residential Care Facilities (RCFs)
· Adult Residential Centres (ARCs)
· Group Homes
· EHS Communications & Dispatchers
· Ambulance Services
· Home Support (it supersedes Bill 30)
· Child Protection and Child Residential Services
Among other things, Bill 37 compels us to negotiate these Essential Service Agreements with each of the employers in these sectors six months before the expiration of our contracts.
CUPE will be launching a legal challenge against both these Bills. We will also be meeting with all of our locals to build a mobilization plan to fight the destructive impacts of this legislation.
CUPE NS President Danny Cavanagh and Atlantic Regional Director Jacquie Bramwell will be hosting a virtual ‘Town Hall’, Tuesday, April 8 at 7:00 pm for all local union Executive members.