Health-care union continues to highlight shortages while preparing for conciliation

For the second time in a week, and in the midst of contract negotiations, Nova Scotia's largest union is sounding the alarm about staffing shortages in hospitals.

The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union issued a news release Thursday saying respiratory therapy services are in crisis at sites across the province "due to dire staffing shortages."

The union goes on to say that short staffing has caused disruptions to Life Flight services for children at the IWK Health Centre, and contributed to delays in diagnosis and treatment for some patients, especially in Nova Scotia Health's central zone.

Hugh Gillis, the NSGEU's first vice-president, blamed low wages and poor working conditions.

"They're being paid the least in the country. So it's not an attractive place to recruit or retain," Gillis said in an interview.

"They're working long shifts and at the end of the day they're mentally exhausted and some of them don't know if they can continue doing what they're doing," he added.

Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre each acknowledged staffing shortages in respiratory therapy, and both said they're actively recruiting.

The concerns about respiratory therapists are similar to ones the union raised last week about ultrasound technologists.

All this comes as the NSGEU and other health-care unions are negotiating for new contracts for about 9,000 health-care workers.

Gillis said the NSGEU is trying to get the government's attention.

"We've been having talks with the province for a while, with the employer, and we haven't had a lot of progress. And so we're simply meeting with our members, they're sharing their stories with us, and we're sharing them with the public," said Gillis.

Workers involved in the current round of bargaining include a variety of different technicians and technologists, physical therapists, patient navigators, social workers and dozens of other roles.

The Nova Scotia Council of Health Care Unions, made up of the NSGEU, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Unifor, is scheduled to enter conciliation with the health authorities next week.