Nova Scotia targeted for being 'One of the Hardest Places' to unionize in report

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaNova ScotiaHalifax Nova Scotia targeted for being 'One of the Hardest Places' to unionize in report Report makes eight recommendations, including adopting single-step verification, increased recourses at labour board and stricter timelines Author of the article: By Ally Bowes Published Sep 22, 2026 Last updated 46 minutes ago 5 minute read Tina Oh (right), vice-president for Eastern Canada with the Service Employees International Union Local 2, speaks at a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives press conference at Grand Parade on Tuesday. PHOTO BY RYAN TAPLIN /The Chronicle Herald Article content Kat Daly, a worker at the Bridge by Adsum, says unionizing was a long, often hard process.  Article content Workers at the all-gender shelter were able to vote on unionizing in June 2024; however, they were stuck waiting nine months for the ballots to be counted.  Article content Article content “Unionizing is already a lot of work, and when your own government adds barriers, that makes it even harder,” Daly said at a news conference in Halifax.  Article content Article content “It’s really frustrating and really disheartening.”  Article content According to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the barriers workers in Nova Scotia face when trying to unionize come at every step of the process, from getting the initial signatures to being successfully certified. Article content The report, titled One of the Hardest Places to Organize in the Country: Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Unionization in Nova Scotia, came through interviews with union organizers, labour activists and academics. It argues that the province’s labour regulations and resources make the organizing process difficult, and the system is falling behind other jurisdictions.   Article content Who is unionized? Article content In Nova Scotia, 31 per cent of workers belong to a union or are under a collective agreement. Article content When you think of a union worker, you may picture a man working a blue-collar job, but the report highlights that is no longer the case.  Article content The reality is that women are more likely to be unionized, with a unionization rate of 36 per cent compared to men at 25 per cent. Women with university education working in the public sector make up most represented workers.  Article…