Union troubled by layoffs at Halifax restorative justice office during contract talks

The six people who run Nova Scotia's restorative justice program for the Halifax area have been given layoff notices while negotiating a new collective agreement with the provincial government.

The unionized workers, employed by the non-profit Community Justice Society, received the notices April 7 and were told to clear their caseloads within 90 days.

"This is extremely troubling — both for restorative justice in Nova Scotia, and for our public services in general," said Nan McFadgen, president of CUPE Nova Scotia, which represents the workers. 

The restorative justice program typically brings offenders, victims and communities together to resolve issues without incarceration, with a focus on accountability and repairing harm.

Sharman Bigler, who's worked with the society as a restorative justice caseworker for two years, said the layoffs come at a time when she and her colleagues are "busier than ever."

"Prior to this termination, our caseworkers held between 80 and 100 files at any given time," said Bigler.

She said the society is one of eight agencies that administer restorative justice in Nova Scotia, but the Halifax office carries almost half the total caseload. It's also the only unionized agency.

Union was headed to conciliation

The Justice Department notified the society it was ending their service agreement about a month before CUPE Local 4764 was to take part in conciliation, the union said Wednesday in a news release.

Bargaining has been ongoing for "just over a year," and members had voted unanimously in favour of job action during a March strike vote, it said.

CBC News requested an interview with Justice Minister Becky Druhan about the layoffs. Instead, a department spokesperson sent a statement saying "unionization was not a factor in the decision."

"We have exercised a provision within our service provider agreement with the Community Justice Society that allows either party to end the agreement upon 90 days' notice. The 90-day notice period will help to ensure a smooth transition for our restorative justice clients," the statement said.

John Howard Society to take over

The department's statement said the John Howard Society, which administers restorative justice programs in the Truro and New Glasgow areas, has signed an 18-month agreement to run the Halifax program.

"This will give us time to further assess the needs of our program in Halifax and inform a request for proposals for a new service provider," the statement added.

Bigler said there had been nine positions like hers available at Community Justice Society, but it's been difficult to attract more staff due to limited funding and the strenuous nature of the job.

The news release from CUPE said the workers felt "forced" to accept a new agreement, which included a nine per cent wage increase over two years, after receiving the layoff notices.