Medical residents want next collective agreement to go to arbitration

Premier Stephen McNeil is accusing the province's medical residents of bad-faith bargaining afterhis government's offer of a three-year wage freeze was rejected.

Instead, the residents have told the government they want their next collective agreement sent to an independent arbitrator.

"The residents are the highest paid in Canada 15 minutes after they sat down they wanted arbitration," McNeil told reporters Thursday afternoon.

"What they are saying is they don't want to sit down and negotiate within the fiscal envelope and ability to pay. What they are saying is it doesn't matter that Nova Scotia is paying the highest taxes."

The residents have been without contract for 16 months. They sent in their offer in May only to be met with delays and cancellations and finally a wage freeze they won't accept.

"So we thought it was in the best interest of getting things done in a timely manner and in a manner that's fair to members as well as the taxpayers themselvesto go to an independent arbitrator, as is our right in the negotiations," said John Paul King, president-elect of Maritime Resident Doctors.

Residents have won a pay hike before. In 2013, an arbitrator ignored provincial wage-restraint policy in place at the time. It limited increases to one per cent.

The arbitrator's award cost the province $3 million.

NSGEU President Joan Jessome says defaulting to arbitration is not a union strategy.

"We've only had two arbitration settlements in the last 15 years in bargaining, so we try to get a deal. And if there are negotiations happening at the table, then we will continue. If not, then the option that we have is binding arbitration," she said.

Jessome says the residents will have a hard time getting to the arbitration stage.

"Where the arbitrator will be much fairer than this government, and treat public sector workers much fairer than this premier has I think the chances of us getting here are slim," she said.

"They are the same people he's going to be encouraging to stay in this province and work as a doctor, so I think there's going to be collateral damage to the statement today."