Contract talks with N.S. public service break down over job protection

Michael Gorman · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 3:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 27

Officials with the national representing astir civilian servants successful Nova Scotia accidental they're prepared to instrumentality their chances with an arbitration sheet arsenic agelong arsenic the provincial authorities is targeting occupation protection.

The declaration for astir 8,400 workers represented by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union expired connected March 31, 2024, and the 2 sides had been moving with a mediator successful caller months to effort to scope a caller corporate agreement.

NSGEU archetypal vice-president Hugh Gillis said successful an interview Friday that it seemed similar they were making advancement until earlier this week erstwhile "those talks benignant of went sideways" and authorities representatives indicated they wanted the occupation extortion clause connected the table.

Gillis described occupation information arsenic "a reddish line" for the union.

"Obviously, authorities would similar to get escaped of that truthful it would beryllium easier to laic disconnected employees and we're having thing to bash with that," helium said.

"We're not giving up our occupation security."

Union wants wage increases to travel pattern

The union's occupation extortion provisions authorities that erstwhile someone's presumption becomes redundant, is relocated oregon would different person a layoff notice, they cannot beryllium laid off. Instead, a idiosyncratic could workout bumping rights, judge a voluntary layoff but beryllium entitled to recall, oregon voluntarily resign with severance.

The different contented relates to pay.

Although helium would not accidental what the authorities is offering, Gillis said the national believes a caller woody should statesman with a 5.5 per cent wage summation successful the archetypal year, successful keeping with the presumption of different caller corporate agreements.

"We're a wage signifier state and we judge that we tin marque the lawsuit that it's 5.5 [per cent]."

If talks bash not resume, the 2 sides are destined to conscionable astatine an arbitration sheet proceeding Oct. 20-21. Representatives for the authorities and national would reason their respective positions, with the panel's determination being binding.

A spokesperson for the state declined to remark connected matters progressive successful bargaining.

Severance presumption announced for non-unionized workers

Meanwhile, the state announced Friday the caller severance presumption that volition use to non-unionized civilian servants if they are laid disconnected without cause.

The Progressive Conservative authorities passed amendments to the Civil Service Act during the wintertime league astatine Province House giving itself the powerfulness to occurrence non-unionized workers without cause. About a 4th of the nationalist work is not represented by a union.

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The updated regulations volition supply 4 weeks of wage per twelvemonth of service, capped astatine 72 weeks. The erstwhile headdress was 52 weeks. Employees would person 8 weeks' announcement up of a layoff.

In March, Public Service Commission Minister Twila Grosse said the amendments were required to springiness the authorities greater flexibility to woody with changing needs successful the nationalist service. At the time, Grosse said determination were nary plans for a broader reorganization oregon layoffs wrong the nationalist service.

A spokesperson for the state said Friday that "staffing decisions stay with idiosyncratic departments, who indispensable negociate wrong their operational needs and budgets."