NSASW POSITION ON BILL - 1: Over the past few weeks, the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers (NSASW) has received inquiries about our position on the controversial Health Bill, Bill 1 and some members have requested that we “take a stand.” While we understand the pressing concern for some of our members who are in unionized positions, we are bound by a formal process before such statements can be formulated and presented, ensuring that policies and procedures are followed. Council Policy 11 states, “The Executive Director should consult with the President and/or Council when a statement might be contentious in the public or with the membership.” This consultation occurred on Monday, October 20th during a monthly Council meeting. Before disclosing the Council’s decision, we would like to recap the background of Bill 1 and the request(s) for members who may not be familiar with the details. BACKGROUND During the last election campaign, the Nova Scotia Liberal party said that, if elected, they would merge the nine Health Authorities into one. This Health Bill was the legislation introduced in order to bring about that merger. In conjunction with the combining of Health Authorities, this legislation also sought to reduce fifty bargaining units to four. It was during the demonstration, prior to Bill 1 being passed, that we were made aware of a message posted on the NSASW Facebook page. A member posted a comment calling on NSASW to take a stand on this matter. Since then, we have received comments from 4 other social workers, all of them asking NSASW to support the unions, one suggesting NSGEU in particular. From this we concluded that the issues brought forth by those five members, by whom NSASW was called to respond, were: 1. Bill 1 will violate Charter rights and freedoms and undermine the ability to bargain for fair, collective agreements for the foreseeable future 2. Bill 1 targets women. 80% of workers involved are women. Female wage and benefits packages are all at r 3. Bill 1 is anti-democratic. It undermines freedom of association. 4. There is no evidence that Bill 1 will save money or improve health. 5. “…this dispute is not between employee and employer. It is between employees and the government…” ACTION These concerns were not ignored. Discussion ensued as we pondered how, or if, we should respond publicly. In the meantime, NSASW responded directly to the members who wrote, indicating that we were still processing the request and had some unanswered questions. The ED also brought it to the Social Justice Committee and Council who provided comments and feedback. These discussions, which included the Executive Director, Coordinator, Deputy Registrar, Social Justice Committee and Council, resulted in the following conclusions: 1. There are no clear social justice issues involved and as such, we cannot respond from a social justice or organizational perspective. 2. There are no fundamental rights being violated. Specifically, workers are not being deprived of their right to collective bargaining and members will still have a right to bargain with their employer. 3. This is a dispute between an employer (the government) and their employees. It is not the place for a regulator that is also a professional association. 4. Which union “wins or loses” as a result of this legislation, is not a social justice issue. Also, the NSASW should not be commenting on which union should be representing which workers. Therefore, the NSASW does not feel that it is within our mandate to respond publicly in support of unions and against Bill 1. We will continue to support members individually by way of informed engagement, but we cannot publicly be part of an internal dispute between government and employee. However, the NSASW encourages all social workers to “speak out publicly on issues of concern, and to identify themselves as social workers.” While we cannot release a statement supporting unions, we certainly support self-advocacy and our members. CONCLUDING COMMENTS Social justice is indeed a foundational concept for social workers and we often feel called to respond when we believe rights are being denied or fundamental principles challenged. This is what makes social work extraordinary. However, as the professional body that speaks for ALL social workers in Nova Scotia, NSASW has a responsibility to carefully consider all aspects of a situation and respond in a way that would enhance the credibility of our profession and contribute to public discourse. While we could not proceed as those members would have liked, we will continue to welcome open and considerate dialogue, allowing us all the opportunity to become more engaged in the local concerns. Respectfully, Lorna Griffin-Fillier MSW RSW – President
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:29:46 +0000
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