NEW GLASGOW - With unionized employees at the Aberdeen and Sutherland Harris Memorial hospitals expecting a strike notice to come as early as Friday night, the Pictou County Health Authority is underway with its contingency plan.
CEO Pat Lee said that on Monday, the health authority began switching around surgeries and procedures in anticipation of a disruption and, as of today, will begin canceling some surgeries.
In the event of a labour disruption, the hospital will provide emergency services only, Lee said - those of a life or limb nature.
"We're expecting a strike notice on 12:01 Saturday morning. We have to make sure that we get as many patients out prior to that, which means canceling some of the surgeries," Lee said.
A strike by CUPE employees would put roughly 43 per cent of health authority staff on the picket line.
The union has refused the hospital essential services - but will provide some manpower in certain circumstances.
"A lab tech for example - will give us four hours a day, or for at Sutherland Harris for example, they're going to give us a cook for the veterans there," Lee said.
The union has agreed also that, should the hospital require staff in an emergency, the health authority must request it from those on the picket line.
"They've agreed to provide it, if we request it, and then there's a 48-hour review afterward."
Earlier preparations for the strike began prior to Christmas. Approximately one quarter of beds within the health authority are occupied by people waiting for a spot in a long-term care facility.
"We were making calls to the families and our transitional care unit patients waiting discharge to a nursing home to see if families could take their loved ones home for a short period of time so we can get activity out of that unit. It's all staffed by CUPE employees."
And, should the strike go ahead, visitors can expect significant delays when visiting and crossing the picket line.
"We will need the public's patience and understanding, this will not be business as usual by any means. We'll be down to the very basic level of service. What we'll try to do after the strike is catch up through a business recovery plan - rebooking things quickly and looking at the most urgent things, trying to get them in early," Lee said.
"We're just waiting to see whether or not we're going to be served notice."
Roughly 4,100 staff in hospitals across the province are waiting for word to strike.
CUPE acute care co-ordinator, Wayne Thomas, said the issue at hand is wage parity with health care workers in Halifax, which unionized employees in mainland Nova Scotia have enjoyed for the past decade.
Workers in the Capital Health District, who are in a different union, received a 2.9 per cent wage increase in Nov. 2008 and April 2009, while those outside of Halifax were only offered a one per cent raise.
Thomas said there have been no negotiations for the last four weeks and none were scheduled that he knew of yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, deputy premier Frank Corbett said yesterday that wage parity isn't something the province can afford with a $500 million deficit on the books.
Thomas said, aside from parity, paying Capital Health employees more affects recruiting and retention efforts in health authorities outside Halifax.
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- Published on January 6, 2010
- Published on February 20, 2010
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Staff ~ The News
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Comments
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- niki
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:32:04
When those CUPE workers start working the shift work and holidays that they work 27/7 in the City, maybe then they should get partity.
They have it pretty good as it is. Most don't work shift work or holidays. -
- KG
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:32:02
I worked for the health board there for 12 yrs and was there when paritywas introduced. I didn't agree with in then and I don't agree with it now. There is no way you can compare the duties, responsibilities and volume of a high volume tertiary care center in the city to a small rural hospital. IThat is not equal work for equal pay..that is someone in a small setting getting paid far more than they should because someone in a busy hospital makes that salary. How do you compare Tatamagouche, Pugwash, Springhill, Pictou to the QEII or the Grace in Halifax? It is apples and oranges people..its time to stop this foolishness. Best of luck to the NDP in trying to right the wrongs the unions have gained over the years. Stand tough its going to be a rough ride.
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- mike
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:58
KG...your crazy...why shouldn't they get paid the same...the cost of living is just as high here as it is in HRM...(Most hospital staff don't live in the deep south end, many of them commute and they have the option of public transit just like us...oh wait...never mind ) The professional staff here are just as if not more busy as a lot of them do on call which their counterparts that work at the big tertiary hospitals don't do. I wish people wouldn't comment on here when they don't know what they are talking about and/or have lost touch with society.
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- Renalmom
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:58
As a nurse in a union outside of CUPE.. Frank Corbett needs to open his eyes and probably should visit healthcare facilities outside of HRM to see exactly what these staff do thats different.. if anything staff have MORE responsibility... Let me tell you one example. Did anyone know that during our last storm that only ONE staff was on call to ensure clean/safe unobstructed walkways within PCHA?? I wonder how many people CDHA had at their disposal? Now tell me isn't snow the same whereever it falls in the province??? On any given day staff within housekeeping/enviromental departments provide the same service all across the province, is their work not the same??. Staff in the lab draw blood from many clients, do they not do the same job in different health authorities?? The only difference between smaller districts and the larger one is that the larger district has a larger pool of workers to draw from!! Now Frank Corbett can you tell me why these staff do not deserve wage parity?
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- L
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:58
There are some CUPE workers staffing the Alternate level of care unit, but LPN's mostley staff it and they are in the NSNU
with the RN's. -
- sam
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:57
To say that asking for the same pay as a busier hospital is not right. Thats hogwash! I worked 28 years at the Aberdeen and they worked as hard and harder as any of The big City hospitals , where there is two of these and three of those. The Aberdeen made do with one! Of course they deserve parity...anything else would be grossly unfair.
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- KG
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:53
Robert Sam and Mike, I stated I worked in health care for 12 yrs and I was a CUPE member during that time, so I am educated to the facts. What I am not is blinded by the rhetoric the union tends to throw around to hold the employer hostage to their demands. I will state it again, there is no comparison between the work load of an employee in a small rural hospital and large high volume city hospitals. This is not about the cost of living, wherever you happen to be (you choose where you live and your commute), it is about equal work and equal volumes. That is where the parity needs to come into play..not where you live. I firmly believe in equal pay for equal work. But it should be equivalent based on work load not simply position. And I have every right to comment, as I have been in strike position over this very issue, a strike I didn't believe in and wanted no part of. I was just grateful to have a decent job, which are hard come by in NS.
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- first last
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:52
the number of staff hired is usually based on demand as well, and each hospital uses the same numbers (i.e. #patients/nurse).
With one of the big issues being recruiting for these smaller hospitals how are we going to entice someone out for less than their counterparts. -
- lorraine
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:52
I think it amusing how the NDP can say they dont have the money and yet give Iriving 40 million dollars to buy trees in Nova Scotia.
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- Nancy
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:51
KG...you say that asking for the same pay as a busier hospital is not right, that the CUPE workers at the Aberdeen do not deserve the same pay as say the workers at the QEII or the IWK-Grace, then why do the RN's, whether they work in a long-term care facility, the Aberdeen Hospital, or The QEII deserve the same rate of pay. They do get the same rate, no matter where they work. If they are going to give one group wage parity across the province, they need to do it for all. I am a CCA, and a member of CUPE and you can not tell me that because I work in long-term care, someone who works in a Halifax area hospital deserves more pay then I do, the staff to patient ratio is the same, they just have more staff. I do the EXACT same job. I have the same workload. So please, don't tell me that I or any employee at the Aberdeen deserves less pay because we don't live in a city....
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- strike strike bully
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:47
The gov't forced the management of the authority to swallow 1% even though a professional consulting firm which reviewed all the positions recommended differently. No striking & picketing took place there...........they all just kept working :-~ Unions were good in the Industrial revolution in this day & age some go too far
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- Holly
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:44
Niki. Are you serious? I don't know many health care workers in acute care who don't work shift work and weekends!!!! What does being a member of CUPE have to do with shift work??? I certainly do shift work and WEEKENDS and holidays. Just ask my kids.
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- Robert
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:44
I can not believe how ignorant some people can be this day in age. A job is a job so please explain to me why people doing the same job should not be paid the same rate of pay. These people are required to be on call 24 hours a day. Alot of times they have to sit home and miss their family time with outings etc and are forced to be within a one hour response time for as little as 1.50 an hour. Give me a break I would love to meet the person that will work for that type of pay.
I guess under Frank Corbett's logic then all MLA's should not make the same money then if they do not all have the same number of contituents in their riding, right Frank?? It is funny how that is not brought up but wage parity is there for the MLA's.
Not all work these people do is for the public to see. Clerical for example not everyone is out front for the public to see, Laundry, sterilzation department who support two hospitals, all doctors clinics plus the nursing homes that require instruements which yes they get their supplies from the hospital. What about the ICS department, do you know how large that department is?? They have two employees to service Pictou, NG, New Hope and Addiction Services now they have Continuing Care added on also plus Public Health. So is that a fair work load for those folks??
Please KG and niki learn the facts and become educated before you speak. Under your same logic MSI should not pay Dr.'s the same rate for treatments because they may not have as many patients as a Dr. in the city. Please do not show your ignorance of the issues become educated.
I think before people speak they should really learn the facts and become educated and not ignorant. If you choose to live or work in the city then you should not expect to receive a higher wage because of your geographical choice. Most of those people live out in the rural area which living costs are comprible to Pictou County. -
- Cee
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:43
I agree that the simple minded comment that KG made is way off base!! If people were paid by where they lived in the province and population, then that could be said for every worker. I'm a nurse and my job is the same no matter where I'm working. As I'm sure it is for a Teacher, Walmart greeter, Lawyer, Judge or Tim Horton's worker. Lets see what the people think about that who live and work in a small community like Liverpool!!
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- Rose
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:40
Right on Nancy from Nova Scotia. lorraine best from Antigonish I also find that amusing.
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- Robert
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:36
KG you are obviously not educated on the facts or else you would know the ratio that used for hiring staff.
If people do not believe in wage parity then do they believe in business' closing as cost of lost parity. These people are not asking for the world only what is fair. If they do not have these raises and the cost of living continues to increase how do you expect them to maintain their lifestyle that they have worked to obtain and paid their university tuition to have to qualify for some of the positions. Again undeducated to the facts and very unrealistic in your train of thinking. -
- Kim
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:36
We all choose to live where we live. Why should I not get what Halifax is gets. I work just as hard. I have worked my evenings, weekends and holidays Niki! Just ask my family on Christmas morning when I am not there. As for comparing job duties we all do the same work and work just as hard, we are busy. There is appropriate amount of work for the appropriate individual doing it. Foolishness?? The only foolishness is the new NDP government backing out on talks. Way to go NDP...this province makes me proud! NOT! I want the Conservatives BACK. Mother, fulltime CUPE worker and housewife.
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- PictouCountyGuy
- - February 22, 2010 at 14:31:35
KG I can tell that you have no idea what you are talking about but just reading your comments! A person working in a Halifax hospital is going to have the same duties and same work load as someone in the Aberdeen or even at lets say the Pugwash Hospital. Heres the reason. Lets say in Halifax there is 10 nurses for 50 paitents, in Pugwash or in New Glasgow there is 1 nurse for 5 or even 7 paitents. Guess what the work load ends up the same no matter what way you want to do the books. As a matter of fact I believe that there may be more of a work load in the smaller hospitals as opposed to the larger ones.
The biggest problem with this whole situation is the NDP goverment, they are the problem, it has been nothing but a cluster **** since they got in. They have no idea what they are doing and never will! If the Conservitives were still in there would never been a strike because the deal would be done. I say get rid of this foolish NDP goverment and all of our problems would be solved.
