It appears government workers and the province are headed to arbitration.
Going into conciliation talks, both sides were optimistic a deal could be reached.
However, discussions between the two sides broke down last night.
According to a release issued by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, government officials refused to budge on issues of key importance.
The NSGEU had put off an application for arbitration this week in order to try to get a deal at the bargaining table.
Now that they’ve exhausted that option, Union President Jason MacLean expects government to keep their word and allow the contract talks to go to arbitration.
The 8,000 members of the NSGEU have been working without a contract since March of 2015.
The province has laid out a wage proposal of no raises in the first two years, 1% in the third, 1.5% in the fourth and half a percent at the end of the contract.
Last week Mark Furey, the minister responsible for labour negotiations said “this is about our fiscal position as a province and government’s ability to pay. What we do believe, is that there is an opportunity to have other discussions outside of the wage framework, such as working conditions.”
Jason Maclean of the NSGEU said “We are there to get a deal. We’ve been pushed and kicked around for the last three and a half years and we’re still standing here saying you know what? We can get a deal. We can get it at the table. Let fairness reign.”
