More than 2,200 workers from 22 long-term care homes hit the picket lines in Nova Scotia on Monday morning.
The striking workers are represented by CUPE and include continuing care assistants, licensed practical nurses and support service providers, such as dietary and laundry staff.
“The public is very much behind us. You see it in the cars driving by, everyone’s honking, you see it,” said Christa Sweeney from CUPE’s long-term and community care committee while outside Saint Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax.
“We’re looking for a living wage. We asked for $5 an hour increase for all classifications.”
Striking workers are asking for a flat $5-per-hour increase for all classifications. They say the province’s current offer would bring its lowest-paid members to a bit more than $21 per hour, which they point out is hurting retention efforts.
“If you’re working full-time, you should be able to afford rent and groceries, but some people have to live out of their cars,” said Ty Loppie, a long-term care worker and union spokesperson.
The agreement between the province and CUPE-represented workers expired in 2023.
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Barbara Adams, the province’s long-term care minister, says the government’s four-year offer would increase the wages of some workers by 24 per cent.
She adds the offer comes with retroactive pay back to 2023 and contains a 70 per cent increase in shift and weekend premiums. There’s also new funding to expand the number of workers eligible to enrol in a defined benefit pension plan.
“This offer is 12 to 24 per cent … That’s the equivalent of $55 million that government is prepared to offer each additional year for that four-year period of time. CUPE is asking for up to a 41 per cent increase,” said Adams.
According to the minister, 27 other unionized long-term care homes have already accepted the same offer.
CUPE’s long-term care co-ordinator, Kim Cai, says both sides exchanged proposals in August but there has been little negotiation since.
“We’re bringing in our whole committees for the government to walk in and pass us this exact same deal and no discussions,” said Cai.
CUPE expects staff from other homes to join the strike in the days ahead since their union represents about 5,000 long-term care workers provincewide.
Representatives say they’re ready to return to the bargaining table, so long as the province is ready to negotiate fairly.
“Our members have seen the package, we’ve been very open with our members, and they are very clear … that they are not having it,” said Sweeney.
In the meantime, Adams says essential services will continue at long-term care homes through non-unionized staff.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
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