Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Your Union Executive Board and Administration would like to provide members with an update on several important matters affecting our membership and the work currently being undertaken on your behalf.

Negotiations

We are continuing our preparation for the upcoming negotiation meetings. This includes extensive research, information gathering, and the careful preparation and documentation of proposals that will be presented to the employer.

These proposals require significant preparation and cannot be rushed. Our Collective Agreement requires that we wait until two months prior to its expiry before providing formal notice of our intention to revise and amend the Agreement. We will continue to use this time to ensure that our proposals are thoroughly researched, properly supported, and reflective of the priorities and concerns of our membership.

Rain Jackets

Your Union has formally notified both the employer and EHS that the current rain jacket/coat combination is unacceptable.

We continue to advocate for appropriate funding to provide a separate, suitable rain jacket for all members. This remains an important health, safety, and working-condition issue, and we will continue to pursue a satisfactory resolution.

Educational Funding

We continue to engage in discussions with both the employer and EHS regarding funding for educational programs that allow our members to advance their education and further develop their ability to provide enhanced patient care.

We understand that members would like to see this funding established immediately. However, the process of achieving a workable funding arrangement can be cumbersome and frustrating when multiple stakeholders are involved. Your Union remains committed to advancing this issue and will continue working with the appropriate parties toward a positive outcome.

Shop Stewards

We are looking to provide our current Shop Stewards with additional training opportunities, including the use of new technology and expanded opportunities to become more involved in member and Union relations.

At the same time, we are expanding our search for additional Shop Stewards in areas where we are currently spread thin due to geographical challenges. Increasing our Shop Steward coverage will provide members with better access to Union representation and greater opportunities to connect directly with their Union.

Shop Stewards play an important role within our organization. Beginning in September, we will provide information regarding upcoming meetings, training opportunities, and ways for interested members to become more involved.

Member Information and Meetings

Beginning in September, your Union will be conducting virtual information meetings covering all platoons. These meetings will provide members with opportunities to receive updates, ask questions, and remain informed as we move forward.

We are also continuing the rollout of our new and improved website. We encourage all members to log in, familiarize themselves with the available information, and report any additional matters or concerns that they believe should be brought forward.

Maintaining an effective website is both challenging and costly; however, it is a necessary investment in improving communication with our membership. It also assists the Union in maintaining accurate and current member information, which is essential to the budgeting, planning, and administrative responsibilities of your Executive Board.

In addition to virtual meetings, we will be holding in-person membership meetings across the province. These meetings will provide an important opportunity for your Union representatives to meet directly with members, hear your concerns firsthand, and discuss the issues affecting you in your workplace.

Please check the calendar on the Union website regularly for updates regarding virtual information sessions and in-person membership meetings.

Your participation matters. Being involved and informed provides members with a better understanding of the work of their Union and provides your Union with the information necessary to advocate effectively for you and for the continued success of IUOE Local 727.

Offload Delays

Offload delay continues to be one of the most frustrating and serious issues facing our members. Paramedics are experiencing unacceptable challenges in providing appropriate patient care while also dealing with the significant impact that prolonged offload delays have on ambulance availability and resource allocation.

Your Union has been engaged over the past year with the employer, EHS, and Nova Scotia Health in an effort to address and eliminate this ongoing obstacle.

In particular, the Cape Breton Regional Hospital emergency department continues to experience some of the most significant offload delay numbers in the province. This creates considerable strain on the entire system. Rural units are, at times, required to leave their normal catchment areas to provide additional coverage, only to become delayed themselves while waiting to offload patients.

The consequences are significant: reduced ambulance coverage in communities, increased workload, physical and mental fatigue for paramedics, and prolonged periods during which paramedics remain responsible for patients in an emergency department environment.

As recently as yesterday, I contacted a number of stakeholders and decision-makers within the healthcare system to bring this matter to the forefront and reinforce the urgency of addressing it.

Your Union will continue to advocate strongly for paramedics and their patients. Our members deserve to work in an environment where they are treated with professionalism and respect, and patients deserve timely access to appropriate care. We will continue to pursue meaningful solutions to the offload crisis across our province.

Respectful Work Environment

Our workforce and membership have grown considerably over the past several years and have become increasingly diverse. With this growth comes the responsibility for every member to contribute to a respectful and professional workplace.

As Union members and healthcare professionals, we must recognize that our words and actions are subject to scrutiny—not only from our colleagues and the employer, but also from the public we serve.

Regardless of your classification or position, when you are wearing the EHS-issued uniform, you represent yourself, your colleagues, your profession, and our organization. The public rightly expects healthcare professionals to demonstrate professionalism, respect, and appropriate conduct at all times.

We have seen an increase in workplace concerns requiring investigations by both the employer and your Union. These investigations are often extremely time-consuming and can have significant consequences for everyone involved.

We therefore ask every member to take a moment to consider how our words and actions may affect those around us.

Please be kind. Please be considerate. Please be professional.

We never truly know what challenges our partners, colleagues, patients, members of the public, or others may be facing in their personal lives. A little understanding and consideration can make a significant difference.

Respect in the workplace is not simply a matter of policy—it is a reflection of who we are as professionals. By treating one another with dignity and consideration, we strengthen our workplace, our Union, and the reputation of our profession.

Moving Forward Together

There is considerable work taking place on behalf of IUOE Local 727 members. Some issues can be resolved quickly, while others require extensive research, consultation, negotiation, and persistence.

Your Executive Board and Administration remain committed to representing our membership and advocating for safe working conditions, fair treatment, professional development, improved patient care, and a strong future for all members.

We encourage everyone to stay informed, participate in meetings, communicate with your Union representatives, and continue bringing forward issues that require attention.

A strong Union depends on an informed and engaged membership.

Thank you for your continued support, professionalism, and commitment to one another and to the patients and communities we serve.

In Solidarity,

Kevin MacMullin
Business Manager
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727
kevin@iuoe727.ca
Cell: 902-719-4564
Office: 902-481-0523
PO Box 38013 Dartmouth,
NS B3B 1X2

Download the official Letter: Message to Membership August 21, 2026