Nova Scotia Nurses Launch Illegal Strike!

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

K'JIPUKTUK, HALIFAX - Nurses who work for Capital health are off the job, illegally so.
What triggered the walk-out is essential services legislation that the Liberal government introduced yesterday.
The legislation covers not just the nurses in the Halifax region who would have been in a legal strike position on April 3rd. All nurses province-wide are affected. As are other health care workers. As are workers for the Department of Community Services.
The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) believes that under the guise of essential services and protection of patients this is really back-to-work legislation.


You can read the whole article here (http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/%E2%80%9Cits-not-about-one-contract-its-about-where-taking/22376). There are a significant number of related articles elsewhere on the Media Co-op site (http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/) as well.

The latest issue of The Worst of Times (http://www.revleft.com/vb/new-issue-worst-t187837/index.html?t=187837) has some commentary as well (though the launch of illegal strike action makes it slightly out-of-date already, if mostly sound in terms of its premise, etc.).

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

The strike is over.

For the sad details, check the link in this thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/new-issue-worst-t187837/index.html?p=2736436#post2736436).

[blake 3:17]

Aren't they messing with the legislature?

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Aren't they messing with the legislature?

They were there all through last night, but Bill 37 (the so-called "essential services" legislation, effecting not only nurses but tens of thousands of workers) passed at around 7:30 this morning.

[blake 3:17]

ah ok -- was getting some reports out of sequence from participants... There is value in checking the regular news outlets.

Essential services law passed, nurses’ strike over
MICHAEL GORMAN PROVINCIAL REPORTER
Published April 4, 2014 - 6:23am

The McNeil government passed its essential services legislation Friday morning amid a chorus of jeers.

Its passing followed a marathon debate that stretched through the week and ended a one-day nurses strike.

The final vote on Bill 37 was divided along government and opposition lines, with all of the Tory and New Democrat MLAs voting against the legislation, which applies to almost 40,000 health-care and community services workers.

The Liberals have said the bill, which requires employees and employers to reach an essential services agreement before workers can go on strike, creates a balance that protects patient services while preserving the right to strike. Unions and the NDP counter that the bill is unfairly weighted in favour of the employer.

The nurses went on a brief wildcat strike on Tuesday following the bill’s introduction. The provincial Labour Board ordered them back to work. They walked off the job legally on Thursday at 7 a.m.

Following Friday’s vote the gallery, filled with nurses and other union members, chanted “shame” and continued to do so as MLAs left.

Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union president Joan Jessome, whose union represents the striking registered nurses at the Nova Scotia Hospital and Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, said the bill’s impact is significant.

“This government not only disappointed the workers, they’ve just created a very hostile workplace where the employer is going to win at every single round of bargaining,” Jessome said as she fought back tears.

“They have changed the face of collective bargaining in this province.”

As Jessome spoke to reporters, and union members and supporters surrounding her chanted “this is just the beginning,” the premier and members of his staff slipped out without speaking to reporters.

Friday’s debate started just after midnight and went until about 7:30 a.m. The NDP, who vowed not to fast track the bill in any way, talked at length about their concerns with the bill. The six members present each used all or almost all of their alloted one hour of speaking time.

A final hour-long delay came as the House waited for members to return to vote. NDP MLA Lenore Zann was absent all week due to illness, while Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell, who was at Province House throughout the debate, missed the vote.

While the Tories voted against the bill, they also did nothing to hold up its passage. On Wednesday, which was Opposition Day, the Tories ceded their time to the Liberals in an attempt to speed up debate.

Tory Leader Jamie Baillie said his party may not see eye to eye with the government, but they thought it important to end the strike as soon as possible.

full article and comments etc: http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1198038-essential-services-law-passed-nurses-strike-over