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(Halifax) – The president of CUPE Nova Scotia says Rodney MacDonald’s decision not to bring his own government’s bill on banning health strikes to a vote in the House is, “both cynical and cowardly.”

Danny Cavanagh says, “After putting 32,000 health and community care workers through eight months of uncertainty over the fate of this legislation, to then not have the courage of your own convictions to bring the bill forward speaks volumes about the character of this government.

In fact, the premier himself didn’t even speak on the bill,” says Cavanagh.  “I’m sure this is because he knows as well as we do that his own credibility with Nova Scotians on health care issues is next to zero.

The people of this province hold him responsible for the long list of real problems in our health care system, from doctor shortages to ER closures and ridiculously long wait times for patients,” says Cavanagh.

”And the CEO’s of the health districts are complicit in this cynical, political manipulation.  So now we are going to watch the spectacle of a hospital employer forcing a union to take a strike vote so they can slam nurses and other health care workers over the head with this legislation. 

These same hospital CEO’s have been promoting this bill. The best way for them to get the bill passed is if they force a strike vote. I don’t know whether to call this act shameful or shameless,” says Cavanagh.

Cavanagh says, “As Canada’s largest union, we are putting Rodney MacDonald on notice that CUPE will be standing shoulder to shoulder with any other union that is sideswiped by the machinations of a desperate government.”

For information: 

Danny Cavanagh                                               John McCracken
President, CUPE Nova Scotia                           CUPE Communications Rep.
(902) 957-0822 (Cell)                                       (902) 455-4180 (o)
                                                                           jmccracken@cupe.ca