(Halifax) The union representing workers at the soon-to-be-closed Halifax County Regional Rehabilitation Centre (HCRRC) has filed an Unfair Labour Practice charge against the center.
CUPE Local 1028 says the union gave notice to bargain a new contract back in January of this year, and the Centre has simply refused to meet with them at the bargaining table.
CUPE National Rep. Linda Clancy says, HCRRC management is failing to comply with the requirement under the collective agreement and the Nova Scotia Trade Union Act to negotiate in good faith”.
It would appear that the Centres Board of Directors has made a conscious decision to delay these contract talks, in the hopes of avoiding any resolution to the issue of severance pay for these employees, says Clancy.
The Rehab Centre is slated to close on November, 2001, but there are a number of mental health clients that have not been placed and will be difficult to relocate.
CUPE Local 1028 has been informed by Community Services Minister Peter Christie that the bargaining table is the proper forum for dealing with the severance issue.
Says Clancy, These workers, many of whom have worked at the Rehab Centre for over 20 years, are between a rock and a hard place. This employer seems content to treat its unionized staff like second class citizens and it is simply unacceptable behaviour.
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For information:
Linda Clancy, CUPE National Representative
(902) 455-4180 (o)
John McCracken, CUPE Communications Representative
(902) 455-4180 (o)