NSGEU Union Matters

This podcast is an explainer and an update for a classification grievance filed by the NSGEU on behalf of Correctional Officers. Garnet Estabrooks, Umbrella President and Bretton Currie, President of Local 480C interview Andrea Hancock, President of Local 480H on the progress of the grievance to date.

Meet members and leaders of Local 480, Provincial Corrections - as they discuss why they got involved in the union and what the main issues they face as workers in this sector are. Garnet Estabrooks, Local 480 Umbrella President (all the Sublocals); Andrea Hancock, President of Local 480 F, Annette Guthro President of Local 480A, David Outhouse, President of Local 480I, Bretton Currie, President o...

Local 100 President, Laura MacMillan, interviews Stephanie Conway about their role as a Physician's Assistant at the Nova Scotia Health Authority during Allied Healthcare Professionals Week 2023.

In this episode, Laura MacMillan, President of Local 100, introduces us to Shariff Azher, an Orthopaedic Technologist who works at the Dartmouth General. We learn about his education, his work, and what brought him from Ontario to Nova Scotia. Thank you Shariff, for your work and your dedication to improving the lives of Nova Scotians. We appreciate you!

In honour of Allied Healthcare Week, Board member and Health Care Worker, Laura MacMillan, interviews Suhil Abu-Zaid who works as a Medical Laboratory Technologist at the Mackenzie Building in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They discuss the requirements for the job, what the work is like and why he loves it. Thank you Suhil for all you do!

The first week of November is Allied Healthcare Professionals Week! Our host, Holly Fraughton, sits down and chats with a Medical Laboratory Technologist, Conor Porter, about the work he does behind the scenes within our health care system.

Union Matters' host Holly Fraughton and President Jason MacLean take a journey through some of the highlights of 2019 and into some of the challenges our members are currently facing and what lies ahead for 2020. The range of topics includes: our new NSGEU Educational Program; Health Care bargaining; OHS issues for our Corrections Officers and members working at the East Coast Forensic Hospital; o...

Union Matters host Deedee Slye interviews Deputy Sheriff Kevin Hurst about the Pink Patch Project which brings awareness to and support for Breast Cancer. In the podcast, Kevin discusses why they embarked on this initiative (the first in Canada) and how he created our distinctly Nova Scotia pink patch.. If you are interested in purchasing a patch in support of breast cancer awareness, email Kevin...

The President of the National Union of Public & General Employees (NUPGE) sits down with host Mary Otto to discuss his personal history with the organization and the labour movement; issues facing unions today, and much more!

Host Mary Otto discusses NSGEU's resolution for a week that recognizes the important work Healthcare Professionals do for Nova Scotians. Mary's guests are fellow health care workers, Peter Perry, an Anaesthesia Assistant in Local 122 and Laura MacMillan, an Orthopaedic Technician in Local 100. Join in to hear why we need an Allied Healthcare Professionals Week!

Host Deedee Slye interviews Patricia Wall - a navigator for the recently created Office of Workplace Mental Health (OWMH), an initiative of the NSGEU and the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Office provides support to NSGEU members who work for the PSC, Tourism Nova Scotia, or Nova Scotia Pension Corporation, all members who belong to the Nova Scotia Public Service LTD plan. Navigators help em...

Host Mary Otto, interviews Sébastien Labelle about the history and activities of Mayworks in Halifax. Listen in and find out more about this festival of workers art. Mayworks happens annually, on and around May 1st. Mary Otto is a proud member of Local 43, Canadian Blood Services and on the NSGEU Political Action Committee.

This week, host Mary Otto sit down with the President of the Halifax-Dartmouth and District Labour Council (HDDLC), Suzanne MacNeil about what Labour Councils do, and the role they play in the overall labour movement.

This week, we sit down with Tanya Hersey, member of Local 423 working in administrative support at the IWK; Paul Hagen, Board member and chair of the civil service PR bargaining group; and Donna MacGregor, President of Local 71C, Cignecto Regional Centre for Education, to talk about what it's like to sit on a bargaining committee.

This week, host Mary Otto sits down with fellow members of the NSGEU's Political Action Committee (PAC), to find out what it's like to get involved in politics and the union! Featured on this episode are Hugh Gillis (a Correctional Officer from Local 480); Robert MacDonald (an Operational Support worker at SMU from Local 170); Suzanne MacIntyre (a Registered Nurse and member of Local 101); and Lin...

NSGEU's Triennial Convention is right around the corner: it's being held from May 8 to 11 in Halifax. If you are a member and are interested in running for an Executive position, please take a listen and find out how to put your name forward!

This week, we sit down with NSGEU President Jason MacLean and Alec Stratford, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia College of Social Work, to discuss an important new campaign aimed to support child welfare services in Nova Scotia. As a result of recent changes to the Nova Scotia Children and Family Services Act, child protection workers' scope of practice has been increased, but no additional re...

This week, guest host Mary Otto sits down with Tracey Fisk, a nurse with 29 years of experience in the health care system, to talk about Blue Monday. The third Monday in January marks the most depressing day of the year for many people.

Union Matters host Deedee Slye talks to Lynette Johnson, Employee Relations Officer for Health Care, and Colin Sutton, President of Local 79, St. Mary's University, about storm closure policies, collective agreement rights and employer expectations during a weather event. So if the weather outside is frightful, your workplace is closed and you have not been reassigned, sit back, relax, and listen...

In this Episode, host Deedee Slye talks to President Jason MacLean, Chair of the Resolutions Committee, Paul Hagan, and Chair of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, Colin Sutton, about resolutions. They share their favorite resolutions, current deadlines and announce their resolution writing provincial tour. These resolution experts are where it's at! Whereas resolutions set the direction of t...

This week, we sit down with NSGEU President Jason MacLean to talk about some of the highlights from 2018, and what union members have to look forward to in the New Year!

Union Matters host Deedee Slye spends some time with President Jason MacLean and Convention professionals Diane Briggs and Lisa Bouchard discussing Convention. Includes deadlines, tips and information that will help you understand what Convention is all about.

Union Matters Guest Host Mary Otto (President of Local 43 and member of the NSGEU Political Action Committee) interviews Bill Swan, creator of Faces of Pharmacare, about Pharmacare in Canada. A positive and inspiring conversation ensues about what it takes to keep advocating for public health care. Listen in!

On this week's episode of Union Matters, we talk to NSGEU's First Vice President, Sandra Mullen; Secretary-Treasurer, Darren McPhee; and Board member & Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Melissa Marsman, about the ways the NSGEU gives back. For a transcript of the podcast, please visit http://nsgeu.ca/union-matters-giving-back/

Guest host Mary Otto, President of Local 43, and member of NSGEU's Political Action Committee interviews Erin Casey and Joan Helson about a campaign called Dignity. Period. From a blog written by Erin Casey: "One-third of Canadian women under the age of 25 say they’ve struggled to afford menstrual products (Plan International Canada, 2018). One in seven girls in Canada have either left school earl...