All Members,

Many years ago eight union NSGEU, CUPE, CUPW, NSNU, NSTU, SEIU, UNIFOR and IUOE LOCAL 727 joined together to challenge the legality of Bill 148 in court. After many years of court and challenges Justice Smith found that the law was unconstitutional and provided the Province and Unions one year to negotiate a financial remedy.

Both parties began a mediation process with the assistance of a jointly appointed arbitrator and our legal counsel Jillian Houlihan of Pink Larkin Law Firm who represented all eight unions during this process. Unionized employees working during the four years of Bill 148 would be eligible if meeting the criteria to receive up to $5,000.00 compensation by working all four years and eligible for a service award. Members will be identified on each bargaining unit’s seniority list (or comparable list for the bargaining unit if there is no seniority list), as follows:

$1,250 if the member worked during the first year of wage restraint.

$1,250 if the member worked during the second year of wage restraint.

$750 if the member worked during the third year of wage restraint.

$500 if the member worked during the fourth year of wage restraint.

$1,250 for each member who was eligible for a Service Award and would have accrued additional service towards the Service Award but for Bill 148.

Today, our lawyer and the lawyer for the Province presented Justice Smith with the above consent order requiring the Province to pay damages to union members who were employed during the four years that Bill 148 prevented free and fair collective bargaining. Justice Smith will now look at the order and clarify payment deadlines, etc. and we expect additional information by next week to formally agree to the order. As soon as we receive information from our lawyer Jillian Houlihan we will inform our members.

In Solidarity,

Kevin MacMullin
Business Manager