The McNeil Government’s latest anti-strike bill – Bill 37 – is being described as a full frontal attack on labour by CUPE Nova Scotia President Danny Cavanagh.
Cavanagh says, “This bill is the most regressive piece of labour legislation that any government in the history of this province has ever introduced. It 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, Bill 37 is like a wrecking ball. With this bill, McNeil will have managed to destroy the labour relations climate in our province in one fell swoop,” says Cavanagh.
Bill 37 extends essential services agreements – virtually eliminating the ability to take any meaningful job action – to every corner of the health care system. It affects every worker under the umbrella of the Departments of Health and Community Services. It even extends to child care centres.
Says Cavanagh, “Stephen McNeil has managed to outdo even the most right-wing, provincial governments in the country. He has set the bar even 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 this bill. We will mobilize our 18,000 members here in Nova Scotia and bring the full resources of our union and our 630,000 members across the country to bear on this outright attack on unionized workers,” says Cavanagh.
For information:
Danny Cavanagh John McCracken
CUPE NS President CUPE Atlantic Communications Rep
(902) 957-0822 (Cell) (902) 880-8057 (Cell)
