Three thousand health-care workers demonstrated June 19 outside the provincial legislature in Halifax while the government debated the law that imposes daily fines of $2,000. Another 4,400 nurses, represented by the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, are set to strike on July 9.

They turned down a 10.5 percent raise and are demanding 20 percent. Other key issues are mandatory overtime and understaffing. Other hospital workers turned down an 8.5 percent increase over three years.

The newly elected Liberal government met in special session June 19 to impose a 60-day "cooling-off" period on 23,000 British Columbia nurses and 14,000 other hospital workers who are members of the Health Sciences Association (HSA). In the May 16 provincial elections, the big-business Liberals won 77 out of 79 seats.

The government's action makes the British Columbia Nurses Union's overtime ban illegal and orders members of the HSA to end their strike.

Outside the provincial legislature in Victoria, 1,000 nurses held a demonstration, shouting "Shame" as a band played God Save the Queen. Earlier in the day, 2,000 unionists marched in Vancouver, with many passing motorists honking in approval.

The nurses are demanding a 45 percent wage increase, stating that this is necessary to deal with the shortage of about 1,000 nurses in British Columbia. On June 5 nurses turned down an offer of a 22 percent increase by a 96 percent majority.  
 
Acute shortage of nurses
Nurses have been carrying out an overtime ban for two months to bring pressure on the employers. The fact that this has led to the cancellation of thousands of surgeries underlines the shortage of nurses. The employers estimate that nurses must work a total of 3,600 overtime hours every day to keep the system functioning.

In the last negotiations in 1998 the nurses received raises of 0, 0, and 2 percent over a three-year contract. The HSA is demanding a 27 percent raise over two years. The Health Employers' Association is offering a 6 percent increase over three years.

Nurses at the Vancouver Hospital expressed anger at the government order to work overtime. One nurse, who asked not to be identified by name, said, "It's pretty crappy. Most of the nurses are still not going to be working overtime." Brenda Ramsay, with seven-and-a-half years as a nurse, said, "Sixty days from now we will be in the same place as we are now. It's a waste of time." She added, explaining the nurses' wage demand, "No one remembers that the last time [1998] we got 0,0, and 2." Catharina Wimme, a nurse for five years, pointed out, "With what the employers are offering, I would make Can$215 more a month. I couldn't even pay a month of day care with that." (Can$1 = US 66 cents).

Ramsay continued, "After your 12th hour they ask you to work another four hours. You can't function safely. If they are not acutely sick, patients are sent home. We only have time to attend to physical needs."

The Vancouver area transit strike that began April 1 has continued despite acceptance by union members of a mediator's proposal. Members of the Canadian Auto Workers union voted 90 percent in favor. Some 1,860 voted out of 3,400. On the crucial issue of part-time work and contracting out, the mediator proposed the issues be "studied" by a committee and go to binding arbitration by October 2002 if there is no agreement. The company, Coast Mountain Bus Co., refused the mediator's proposal, saying it would cost too much and that it needed to act on contracting out and part-time work now.

Ruth Ritchey, a picket captain for Canadian Auto Workers Local 111 and a driver for 11 years, explained the vote in favor of the mediator's proposal. "The main thing is to get negotiations rolling, to stimulate a return to the bargaining table. With the committee we will prove the point that part time and contracting out are a false calculation. Better than where we are now just sitting. It is better to get things going," she said.

Asked to comment on the outcome if the issues go to compulsory arbitration, Ritchey said, "It is definitely a risk. I don't have much faith in Translink bargaining favorably. I am not wholeheartedly convinced it will go in our favor." James Johnston, another bus driver, explained, "Nobody really knows because it's a 50-50 thing. It depends on who is the arbitrator. Dave Dobel was CEO of Translink and he is on the arbitration committee. That's a scary thing." Translink is the parent company of Coast Mountain.
 
 
Related article:
Back Canada health-care workers  
 
 
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