The Union of Northern Workers says it is holding meetings with Hay River healthcare workers about the prospect of a “possible migration” into the NWT government.
When a territory-wide health authority was created in 2016, Hay River’s authority was one of two left out (the other being the Tłįchǫ Community Services Agency).
In the past few years, politicians have begun to discuss whether the Hay River authority should now be merged into the larger territory-wide body.
One obstacle is the presence of separate collective agreements.
In an update posted online this week, the UNW said it held meetings with Hay River members in February “to discuss the possible migration of HRHSSA into GNWT.”
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
That was followed by two days of bargaining on February 20-21, the union stated, “to negotiate a framework agreement that would address the terms and conditions of such a transfer if it were to occur.”
The UNW said “solid progress toward finalizing a framework agreement” was made.
The existence of a framework agreement does not make the amalgamation inevitable, but does provide a path forward if those in charge ultimately decide to go ahead.
The union said it plans to hold a ratification vote in March regarding a finalized memorandum of agreement about the framework, if it’s ready by then.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
NWT Premier RJ Simpson, who is a Hay River MLA, has previously voiced support for amalgamating the Hay River health authority with its NWT equivalent.
“I think there are opportunities to better support patients and better support the region through an amalgamation,” he said last year.
Meanwhile, bargaining between the UNW and GNWT has begun. The main GNWT collective agreement sets out the employment conditions of thousands of territorial government staff.
In a separate update, the union told members a first round of negotiations took place in late January.
Preliminary discussions touched on the use of artificial intelligence at work, use of technology for workplace surveillance, several forms of leave, and a time limit on finalizing a new collective agreement, the union stated.
Financial proposals are expected to come later in the process.
The existing GNWT collective agreement expires on March 31, 2026, though its provisions will remain in place until a new agreement is reached.
Related Articles