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Island Crisis Care Society workers back on job

NANAIMO – Strike action on hiatus while negotiations over scheduling issues continue.

Island Crisis Care Society workers are back on the job, pending the outcome of continued negotiations over scheduling practices.

Workers put up a picket line in front of emergency women's shelter, Samaritan House, on Nicol Street last week over new job scheduling practices that, according to their union, could call on employees to work two eight-hour shifts in a 24-hour period.

About 40 of the society's care support workers in Nanaimo are B.C. Government Employees Union members.

Terry Honcharuk, a negotiator with the Community Social Services Employer's Association, which negotiates on behalf of and provides labour relations advice to Island Crisis Care Society, said the picket lines came down Thursday.

"It's on hiatus," Hancharuk said. "The parties met Feb. 11 in Nanaimo with the assistance of a mediator from the Labour Relations Board and the result of that process is that they've signed off on an agreement that the union will cease its job action for the next few weeks."

Scheduling is still the primary outstanding issue and the parties have until March 10 to come up with a solution and if they can't the union will be able to resume its job action.



Chris Bush

About the Author: Chris Bush

As a photographer/reporter with the Nanaimo News Bulletin since 1998.
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