Union: NSH only cares about the safety of some employees

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After several attempts to follow up and ensure the well-being of employees in Nova Scotia hospitals following the attack on two security guards at Colchester East Hants Health Centre earlier this month, CUPE has been told that, because those security guards were not employed by Nova Scotia Health (NSH) directly, they would take no action.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” said CUPE Nova Scotia President Nan McFadgen. “We’ve been dealing with this mentality regarding contracted employees for years. The contracted company claims they can’t make changes because the funder, as in the NSH, hasn’t approved it and the NSH claims they’re merely a client and can’t make changes. So, who’s responsible then?”

In an email communication on May 14, NSH confirmed their Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) would not be involved because “the injured employee wasn’t NSH staff” but they would discuss it in their next meeting.

“Security workers aren’t the only contracted workers in hospitals now that Houston has pushed ahead with his privatization agenda,” said McFadgen. “So does that mean the NSH won’t step in if a travel nurse gets hurt, or a contracted lab tech or x-ray technician?”

The Houston government has expanded the use of public private partnerships in all areas of health care, hiring private companies to provide long term care, transitional care, and even build the QEII expansion.

“If the NSH is going to hire private companies to provide services for them, they should have to follow the same processes they would for any other employee,” argued McFadgen. “They shouldn’t be able to bring these companies into our health care system and then wash their hands of them when there’s an issue. That’s not the way to protect our hospitals or our health care workers.”

“NSH contracts are the NSHs responsibility—and that includes Paladin Security. Just because their job is to protect people doesn’t mean these guards deserve to get bleach thrown in their face and then told they’re not the NSH’s concern because their direct employer is Paladin,” finished McFadgen. “That’s simply not acceptable.”

Paladin Security is contracted by Nova Scotia Health to provide security in hospitals across the province. CUPE 5479, the local union that represents these guards, has been bargaining their first collective agreement for over a year. Recently, Paladin issued an email communication ending further collaboration with CUPE 5479 because they didn’t have a first collective agreement yet. CUPE 5479’s certification by the Labour Board was issued in November 2022.

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