Tories condemn first contract bill; Liberals suggest changes
Posted Nov 30, 2011 07:04:41 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Opposition Liberals say they know there’s no way to halt the imminent passage of the controversial first contract arbitration bill, but they’re hoping to make a change before it becomes law.
Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says he wants to amend the bill to defend the interests of local businesses and minimize government involvement.
“We oppose this bill, but we know it will pass,” McNeil says. “Knowing that, we want to take the pragmatic and practical steps necessary to minimize the bill’s impact on job creation here in Nova Scotia.”
The bill would affect the steps required to start a union. Once workers decide to unionize, they must negotiate with their employer to create a collective agreement outlining wages, benefits and other employment details.
At present, if the workers and boses cannot agree after completing a list of mandatory negotiation stages, the workers’ last resort is to strike.
The proposed bill would instead allow the government to step in, provide an arbitrator and create a binding contract, thereby eliminating the ability to strike.
The changes would make Nova Scotia’s labour negotiation structure similar to Manitoba’s.
McNeil says he favours Ontario and Saskatchewan’s model, in which parties must prove “dysfunctional bargaining” before the government arbitrator takes over.
“They’re going to bring in first contract arbitration regardless of what we say, regardless of what business says, regardless of what anyone else says, they’re going to ram this through the legislature,” says McNeil. “What we’re trying to do is soften the blow on business.”
Opposition parties fear businesses will leave Nova Scotia when the bill is passed.
Tory leader Jamie Baillie warns that business owners won’t be happy if workers can unionize and involve the pro-labour NDP government to arbitrate the contract negotiations.
