The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU), which represents 7,600 civil servants in the province, will return to the negotiating table with the government Monday.
The NSGEU requested the return to talks on Thursday, one day after its members rejected the most recent tentative agreement by 94 per cent.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia civil servants reject contract offer
NSGEU president Jason MacLean said Wednesday when the vote results came in, they were committed to getting back to the table for “real negotiation.”
Originally, the NSGEU recommended members accept the contract. However, after teachers in the province rejected a similar tentative agreement and the province introduced wage legislation, the union reversed its recommendation.
READ MORE: Stephen McNeil’s approval rating drops following Nova Scotia school closures
The rejected deal would see a two-year wage freeze followed by a three per cent wage increase over the last two years. It would also freeze the long-service award retroactive to 2015.
Finance Minister Randy Delorey said Thursday in a budget update that while the government is committed to resolving contract disputes, it will do so while sticking to its financial plan.
“We’ll have to see where negotiations go, but our fiscal plan will be respected,” he said.
The government is boasting a $12.1-million surplus, however that surplus is based on savings from the two contracts rejected by the NSGEU and Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU).
READ MORE: Nova Scotia government still counting on savings from rejected union contracts
MacLean said Thursday that the fiscal update the government put forward is “unrealistic” for Nova Scotians.
The government is also set to sit down for another round of contract talks with the NSTU beginning Saturday.
Comments