Health administration professionals ratify new contract

Health administrative professionals have agreed to accept a new five-year contract that includes three years of retroactive increases.

The deal was announced Friday after 77 per cent of people who cast a ballot supported the offer.

Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union president Sandra Mullen said getting a deal was a long time coming. Workers rejected a previous contract offer and voted to authorize a strike.

"The members are thrilled to have an actual contract," she said.

"I do believe that the pressure they showed was warranted in that the results gave them a better deal than what they were first offered."

Retroactive pay increase

The deal includes a retroactive pay increase of 6.5 per cent covering Nov. 1, 2020 to Oct. 31 of this year. It will be followed by a three per cent increase on Nov. 1 of this year and two per cent on Nov. 1, 2024.

Additional economic adjustments include all classifications getting an extra $0.80 per hour increase effective Nov. 1 of this year.

All classifications that topped out at less than $20 per hour as of Oct. 31, 2022 were increased by $1 per hour at each step before their retroactive increase for 2022 is applied.

The union says workers will see a pay increase of between 15 and almost 23 per cent over the life of the deal, depending on their job classification.

Along with the wage increases, there are also increased shift and weekend premiums and "substantive improvements in various leave provisions," according to the union.

'Positive conclusion'

Labour Relations Minister Allan MacMaster said "any time a deal is made it's good for people."

"I'm happy this one has come to a positive conclusion and thankful for that," he told reporters at Province House.

Mullen said the negotiating team, which also covers workers represented by Unifor and CUPE, has made progress addressing member concerns and they'll look to make further gains the next time the parties are at the bargaining table in about two years.

The economic increases in the new contract will help workers shoulder increased cost of living expenses, said Mullen.

"It's a good start," she said. "They've been since 2019 without an economic adjustment so it is going to help."

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