After rejecting a second tentative contract agreement and filing a 48-hour strike notice, the union representing hundreds of Nova Scotia Power (NSP) employees say the employer has reached out, improving its previous offer.
NSP is now offering a $1000 signing bonus for regular and eligible labor pool employees who have worked from April 1, 2026, with everything else staying the same.
The union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1928, says next steps include a new vote which will start Tuesday, July 28 at 2 p.m. and will close at 12 p.m. on July 31.
It was last Friday that members voted against the previous proposal, prompting the union to begin the formal process that could lead to job action.
On Monday, July 27, he union wrote in a statement:
“Dear Minister,
IBEW Local 1928 is filing our 48 hour notice on behalf of members working for Nova Scotia Power Inc., as required by the Nova Scotia Trade Union Act.”
– James Sponagle, Business Manager
In a letter updating members, the union shares the Negotiating Team will act as Strike Coordinators while Shop Stewards (elected union representatives) will become Strike Captains who will be responsible for overseeing specific locations where action could happen. All other members will be expected to report for picket duty where they work.
IBEW 1928 advises members to monitor for updates on social media and the website in the coming days. They add there will be a FAQ regarding expectations available.
In a third update on social media, the Negotiating Team sent out a letter explaining the rules for picketing if IBEW 1928 members walk off the job, highlighting that all members are required to participate in strike action.
Preparations for the strike began on July 13 when Sponagle delivered a notice to all members stating the union was in a mandatory “14-day cooling-off period”.
IBEW’s negotiating team says they met with NSP’s team at their head office on July 14 where they presented a new tentative agreement for IBEW 1928 members to vote on. It would have been a 3 year deal, expiring at the end of March of 2029.
The new offer also stated that it would “resolve the Outage Dispatch grievance to reinstate correct pay from the cyber security incident”, and include increases to expenses like meal chits, travel, and overtime pay.
Last week, eligible members could send in their votes beginning Wednesday morning until Friday at noon. IBEW shared the results quickly, letting members know that they would be filing the 48-hour notice with the Nova Scotia Labour Board on Monday morning.
The union says it will continue bargaining with NSP and remains hopeful a negotiated deal can be reached.
Details regarding negotiations are unclear right now. Acadia News has reached out to NSP and IBEW for more information.
