HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — After three weeks of chaotic and bitter sparring with health care unions, the Nova Scotia government has agreed to take the labor dispute to a form of binding arbitration.
Premier John Hamm said Thursday the province and unions representing 9,000 health care workers will be allowed to take new offers to an independent third party, who will impose either the unions' or government's contract terms.
Hamm said the new process would replace Bill 68, recent legislation that stripped many health care workers of their right to strike and prompted threats of mass resignations among nurses.
He called the new negotiating process part of ``a reasonable compromise that works for both sides.''
The union representing the health care workers celebrated Hamm's announcement as a victory for the labor movement.
``When all is tallied up both sides will be declared winners,'' the premier said.
Joan Jesse, the president of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, stood before her cheering membership and said, ``today we're celebrating a victory but it took three weeks of turmoil.''
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