I felt it necessary to deliver an address to the legislature in support of a dozen janitors, many of whom had dedicated years to their work at Alderney gate.
You can watch the recorded Member Statement below:
PAUL WOZNEY « » : I rise in solidarity with 12 dedicated janitorial staff facing termination at Alderney Gate in Dartmouth. Some of these folks have kept it clean and safe for more than two decades. These 12 members concluded a freely and fairly bargained collective agreement late in 2024 that included livable wages, health and dental benefits, and a well-deserved pension. These gains which are good for workers, good for HRM, and good for quality service to community are at risk today. Halifax Regional Council recently awarded the service management bid for Alderney Gate to Imperial Cleaners, which threatens to terminate these workers and wipe out their collective agreement by this Saturday and replace them with precarious minimum-wage jobs.
In Nova Scotia the right to unionize runs deep in every community. I urge all members present to contact their Halifax Regional councillor and Mayor Andy Fillmore to ensure the collective agreement of current workers is integrated into the new service agreement, and date the service agreement to ensure these staff keep their jobs and keep making a vital public area of HRM clean and safe for all.
