The Nova Scotia Health Authority, IWK Health Centre and Province of Nova Scotia have reached an agreement in principle with the Council of Unions to create a mediation-arbitration process to resolve any outstanding issues following collective bargaining.

As part of the agreement, the parties will suspend the right to strike or lock out during this round of bargaining.

The Council of Unions includes the Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions, Nova Scotia Council of Nursing Unions, Nova Scotia Council of Health Administrative Professional Unions
and the Nova Scotia Council of Health Support Unions.

This round of health-care collective bargaining has been unusually complex with the merging of 50 agreements into eight. Given this complexity, all parties agreed that a final and binding mediation-arbitration process is the best way to resolve outstanding issues.

The adoption of this process is subject to ratification by union members.

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Source: Media Release