Minister Appoints Selector for Healthcare Final Offer Selection

ENVIRONMENT/LABOUR--Minister Appoints Selector for Healthcare Final Offer Selection

Environment and Labour Minister David Morse announced today he is appointing lawyer Susan Ashley as the selector in the final offer selection process to resolve the dispute with about 10,000 nurses and health care workers.

Ms. Ashley has practised law in the province since 1974 and is an experienced arbitrator and adjudicator. She is currently chairperson of the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Tribunal and has acted as a one-person board of inquiry for cases under both the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act. She also is a part-time member of the faculty of law at Dalhousie University. Ms. Ashley resides in Wolfville.

"With the appointment of Ms. Ashley, all parties involved are confident the right person has been chosen," said Mr. Morse.

The final offer selection process was agreed to on July 5 by the Province of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU) and the Nova Scotia Nurses Union (NSNU). Ms. Ashley will inform the parties of her decision at the same time, as agreed, by Aug. 16.