HALIFAX — A union says it's troubled that Nova Scotia's government ended a long-standing contract with the agency that administers restorative justice in Halifax — as labour talks with caseworkers were still underway.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says it learned April 7 — as talks were headed to conciliation — that the Progressive Conservative government was cutting its service agreement with the Community Justice Society, the non-profit that employs the six caseworkers.
Nan McFadgen, president of CUPE Nova Scotia, said Wednesday she's concerned the 25-year-old relationship was ended "without cause or consultation" and fears it is because the workers are unionized. The society is also planning to lay off three non-unionized managers.
"It just makes us uncomfortable that they're the only unionized group of the eight agencies in the province and they're replacing them … you ask the question: what is this all about? And you don't get any answers, so you tend to fill in the blanks yourself," the union leader said in an interview.
CUPE members say they were told they have 90 days to wrap up current cases and vacate their offices.
Nova Scotia’s restorative justice program creates opportunities for people accused of crimes and victims of crime to work together to come to resolutions, permitting suspects to avoid criminal records.
The program was established for youth across the province in 2001 and expanded to include adults in 2016. The process considers root causes and the circumstances of crimes to make plans to improve public safety. Typically, plans include offenders committing to specific actions to address the harms caused. If the offender successfully completes the program after a referral from the police or the prosecutor, the criminal charges against them are usually dismissed.
A spokeswoman for the Justice Department said the decision to drop the agency wasn't due to its employees being unionized, adding that the province expects a "smooth transition" to another provider. "Unionization was not a factor in the decision. Our commitment to delivering high-quality service was the deciding factor," Lynette MacLeod wrote in an email.
The John Howard Society will assume the files in the Halifax area on an interim basis, she added.
"The term of this agreement with the John Howard Society is from July 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. This will give us time to further assess the needs of our program in Halifax and inform a request for proposals for a new service provider," MacLeod said. The John Howard Society's executive director didn't respond to a request for comment.
Barbara Miller, executive director with the Community Justice Society, said it had received about $800,000 every year from the province to administer the program. She said she's concerned about what will become of the 500 cases a year that the agency handles, which she says comprise "just under half" of all the cases in the province.
"We're very worried about our clients .... The ending of the program is a loss to the community. It's not just about picking up a file and working with the individuals, it's about the community partners, and our (relationships with) partners in the justice system," she said in an interview.
Sharman Bigler, one of the society's caseworkers, said in an interview that she and her colleagues seek information about each case, organize meetings between the parties and help prepare the restorative plans and recommendations for courts. "We're not officially trained as mediators; however, through our work, that's often what we do," she said.
"We are being terminated without cause," Bigler said. "But we're still expected to show up every day and finish this massive workload that we have."
Bigler said it's frustrating to receive so little information on why the province decided to end the contract, adding that it's "pretty ironic" the Justice Department, which is responsible for leading restorative initiatives, is not extending the same courtesy to one of its own organizations.
"It is concerning that we are the only ones being terminated, while also being in the middle of bargaining," Bigler said.
The bargaining unit recently voted in favour of approving a labour agreement, which included a nine per cent wage increase over two years and better provisions for work-related travel. The vote came after the workers learned their agency's contract had been terminated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2025.
Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
