Updates
Wednesday January 22, 2025
There are important updates that you should know. If GDI refuses to negotiate tomorrow, then we will start our strike on Monday Jan 27. This means: DO NOT report to work, and instead we will meet at The Wave at noon to kick off our first day of strike. Strike plans will be shared with you.
The boss is also engaging in illegal behaviour. Read more here …
Tuesday January 21, 2025
BEE-CLEAN AGREEMENT. While GDI members prepare to strike, the Union has reached a collective agreement with GDI’s biggest competitor in the HRM, Bee-Clean.
The tentative agreement with Bee-Clean is superior to GDI’s proposal in a number of ways.
Monday January 20, 2025
Momentum is building! This past weekend over 170 workers attended strike preparedness trainings at the Homewood Suites in downtown Halifax. A vast majority have publicly pledged to actively take part in the strike. Read more …
Next conciliation meeting with the employer is Thursday January 23, 2025.
Wednesday January 15, 2025
GDI Facility Services has refused to address your main concerns at the bargaining table.
In fact, GDI isn’t negotiating with the union and hasn’t responded to the union’s proposals for the last two negotiating meetings (including conciliation). Instead of negotiating in good faith and addressing the issues members have identified as priorities, they are seeking to sidestep the Union’s bargaining committee and undermine our goals to win the best contract possible. GDI has contacted members with their last and final offer, which we have said is not good enough because we know they can do better. This is a dirty tactic that bosses use to deceive workers by evading the fair bargaining process and to divide and intimidate workers.
Wages: GDI’s wage proposals do not address the inflation Nova Scotians have experienced over the last few years, especially in the HRM, where everyday working people have experienced some of the biggest cost of living increases in the country.
Workloads: GDI is refusing to include language in the collective agreement which ensures cleaners have reasonable workloads. Instead, they continue to pile on more and more work and put more pressure on employees. Cleaning companies’ single largest expense is labour costs. That is why they try to hire as few workers as possible. What good is a wage increase if they expect you to do more in fewer hours?
Job Security: GDI wants the right to contract out jobs currently being performed by union members. Under GDI’s proposal, your hours and jobs are at risk.
Favourtism: GDI management wants the right to hire family members and friends and pay them more than long term employees.
Health Benefits: Nearly two thirds of workers currently do not qualify for health benefits. GDI’s proposal does not fix this. GDI would have most workers continue without these essential benefits like prescriptions coverage, dental coverage, vision care, paramedical benefits and more.
Taking a Stand
GDI has shown a complete lack of respect for the work you do. When respect is not given, IT MUST BE WON. We can win what we deserve by taking a stand. To date, over 200 strike pledges have been signed, and more are being collected every day. You are not alone. Fellow SEIU members in the HRM are pledging to support GDI workers should we go on strike. The next step is to take strike preparedness training. Please attend one of the two training sessions scheduled for this weekend.
Strike Preparedness Training
When: Saturday January 18, 12-4 pm | Sunday January 19, 2025, 5-9 pm
(Attend ONE)
Location: Homewood Suites / Hilton, 1960 Brunswick St.
Thursday January 9, 2025
The Union’s negotiating committee met with GDI and the conciliator on Tuesday January 7, 2025. We did not reach an agreement. A final conciliation meeting is set for Thursday January 23, 2025.
Even though it may still be possible to reach an agreement, we are preparing for a strike.
We have scheduled picket line / strike trainings and it is important for every member to attend one of the two available trainings.
Picket Line / Strike Training
When: Saturday January 18, 12-4 pm | Sunday January 19, 2025, 5-9 pm
(Attend ONE)
Location: Homewood Suites / Hilton, 1960 Brunswick St.
Strike Rally on Monday January 27
If we don’t reach an agreement, every member from every location will be on strike by Monday January 27, 2025, and we will be gathering for a mass rally [at Purdy’s Wharf that morning. An exact time and location will be communicated at the trainings and will be announced in the coming days.] NOTE: There is an update to this section. Please see January 22 update.
We will also have more information as to when the strike will begin and when you STOP showing up for work. In the meantime, continue working your shifts normally.
December 11, 2024
The Union’s negotiating committee met with GDI yesterday. We reached impasse and today we filed for conciliation.
We have now met with GDI for five days and we remain far apart on issues SEIU Local 2 members have identified as priorities.
Nova Scotia labour statutes require parties to meet with a Conciliation Officer to try and resolve a potential dispute before there can be a legal strike or lockout. Conciliation is the process of intervention in collective bargaining by a neutral third party knowledgeable in effective negotiation procedures. This third party is called a “Conciliation Officer,” and their job is to help employers and unions reach a collective agreement, but they do not have the authority to impose binding decisions.
We now await to be contacted by the Ministry of Labour appointed Conciliation Officer and we do not expect to be back at the bargaining table until the new year.
SEIU Local 2 members working for GDI in the HRM remain resolved to pursue our key issues. On November 16, 2024, we provided our bargaining committee with an overwhelming strike mandate with the vast majority voting to approve a strike.
A majority of us have pledged to take strike action if that’s what it comes to.
Check out the United & Ready video.
We deserve to be treated fairly and much of what we are asking for, GDI cleaners in other cities already have.
We will provide another update once have we a conciliation date to report.
November 18, 2024
SEIU Local 2 members have provided their bargaining committee with an overwhelming strike mandate at our November 16, 2024, meeting. After four days of bargaining, it’s clear that the employer does not agree with members’ priorities, which according to the bargaining surveys fair wages, benefits for all, retirement security, and manageable workloads
We deserve to be treated FAIRLY and much of what we are asking for, GDI cleaners in other cities already have. It’s time to show the employer we are ready to stand up for ourselves and demand the respect we deserve!
The bargaining committee returned to bargaining on Wednesday November 20.