Hospital workers ratify deal with 90% vote
Posted Apr 27, 2012 12:46:03 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Members of NSGEU Local 42 have ratified the tentative agreement reached this week with the Capital District Health Authority.
The union says members voted 90% in favour of the deal which sends wage offers to an arbitrator.
The Local 42 web site shouts: “Members of Local 42 have a new collective agreement!!!”
There were 11 major concessions on the table, but bargaining committee chair Roberta Banfield tells News 95.7 all of those have been dropped along with the 1% raise in each of the three years of the deal.
“We stuck together, we worked hard and yes, there were a few tears and fist-pounding episodes but the offer that was presented to the members was the best offer we could get,” she explains. “We did speak quite frankly among ourselves and yes, some people did have differences with one thing or another, but in the end we voted unanimously.”
The process now moves to arbitration where a pay increase will be sorted out. The raises could range anywhere from 6.5% to 9% over three years.
NSGEU president Joan Jessome expects things to quickly ramp back up at Capital Health.
“They are back to normal on some of the services today like labs and stuff, but I would expect people to be re-booked into and over the weekend for the coming weeks,” she says.
Capital Health says local hospitals will be running normally by Monday.
“As there is no longer a risk of a strike, Capital Health will begin re-opening inpatient beds beginning next week,” says a release. “Many of the beds will be used for patients who require hospitalization following surgery. The beds will not be required before then, as elective surgeries are not scheduled on weekends.”
