Strike vote planned at IWK Health Sciences Centre in Halifax

Four days of conciliation fail to break impasse

Halifax (29 March 2007) - Staff at the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Sciences Centre are preparing to take a strike vote after the failure of conciliation efforts to conclude a new collective agreement, says the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).

Bargaining for the approximately 600 members of NSGEU Local 22 began on Nov. 27. An impasse was reached on March 27 after four days of conciliation. Outstanding issues include retiree benefits, wages, overtime and shift and weekend premiums.

“The bargaining team has insisted that the IWK provide wages and benefits on par with healthcare workers at Capital Health and other leading tertiary care centres across Canada,” says NSGEU president Joan Jessome. “The employer’s offer at conciliation was unacceptable to our team. It’s now up to the membership to have the final say.”

The union is recommending staff vote to reject the employer’s last offer and authorize a strike.

Further details on the union’s bargaining demands will not be released until members vote to accept or reject the employer’s offer. The vote will take place over the next two weeks. Results will be available late in the day on April 12.

Members of the local work in more than 60 classifications. They include laboratory and X-Ray technologists, child care workers, respiratory therapists and social workers. Their contract expired last Oct. 31.