CUPE Nova Scotia President Danny Cavanagh says, “The McNeil Government has all but gutted free collective bargaining for almost 40,000 health care and community services workers with its Bill 37.”
Cavanagh says, “This bill shatters any illusion that Stephen McNeil and his new government have any respect whatsoever for free collective bargaining or the rights of working people in this province.
“After more than 200 years of creating some sense of balance and fairness in Nova Scotia’s labour laws, McNeil has managed to destroy the labour relations climate in our province in one fell swoop,” says Cavanagh.
Bill 37 imposes essential services agreements – virtually eliminating the ability to take any meaningful job action – on unionized workers in every corner of health care and community services.
Says Cavanagh, “Stephen McNeil has managed to outdo even the most right-wing, provincial governments in the country. He has actually set the bar lower than Stephen Harper when it comes to disdain and disrespect for unions and their members.
“This is a shameful turn of events and CUPE will do everything in its power to fight the outcome of this Bill. We will mobilize our 18,000 members here in Nova Scotia, and bring the full resources of CUPE’s 630,000 members across the country to bear on this blatant attack on unionized workers,” says Cavanagh.
