HALIFAX — A new wage settlement could be in the offing for Nova Scotia's 3,500 doctors with the announcement of an agreement in principle with the professional association that represents them.
The provincial government announced the agreement with Doctors Nova Scotia Friday, although no details were released.
The sides have been negotiating for the past 11 months on new fee and salary deals that are seen as key as the government tries to rein in the cost of public sector salaries.
"We are very happy with this," said Premier Stephen McNeil.
"This is one where we all gave a little and found what I believe is an agreement that is fair to doctors and health care providers as well as to the government."
McNeil said he believed other public sector workers would see the agreement as "fair and consistent" with labour negotiations that are ongoing.
Last fall the government passed a bill to limit wage increases to three per cent over four years with an initial two-year wage freeze, although the doctors are not subject to those provisions.
The wage pattern established was rejected by the province's 9,000 teachers, while the province's largest union, the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU), responded by delaying a ratification vote on a similar deal for 7,600 civil servants.
In an emailed statement Doctors Nova Scotia confirmed it had reached an agreement in principle on a new four-year deal. The association says a few details have to be confirmed before the contracts are reviewed by its board of directors and then sent for possible ratification by the membership.
"We are optimistic that we will reach a tentative deal, ultimately, we’d like the negotiations behind us so we can work with government to find solutions to the issues facing patients," the statement says.
The government said details of the physician alternative funding plan and the physician master agreement won't be released until the agreement is ratified.
It said Doctors Nova Scotia is to meet with physicians across the province over the next several weeks with a ratification vote to take place in late June.
While no details were released, at least one significant expense has been made public over the last week.
The Progressive Conservatives released documents showing the government had approved $440,000 in legal fees for McInnes Cooper labour lawyer Jack Graham, who was brought in to assist in the complex negotiations. This was after the original cost had been pegged at $150,000.
The government later said that about $297,000 of that amount had been spent so far.
McNeil defended the move.
"We needed an expertise that we did not have internally," he said. "We are dealing with a side that has real labour expertise and the government needs to have that expertise as well."
Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie called for the release of the doctor's deal.
"I hope...it includes things like the recruitment of new doctors and restoring their walk-in clinic ability because Nova Scotians want to see that and will be judging the agreement based on those kinds of things," said Baillie.
The last agreement with the province's doctors expired on March 31, 2015.
