The owner of Wisdom Manor, a specialized nursing home in Campbellton, has not passed on a provincial subsidized pay increase, alleges an executive of a provincial union.
“We’re here to call out the owner of a special care home who refuses to pay along publicly-funded wage subsidies,” says Daniel Légère, president of CUPE New Brunswick.
“I am at a complete loss as why this employer is holding out money that is available to him for his staff,” says Légère.
READ MORE: Strike vote underway at unionized nursing homes in New Brunswick
It works out to a $1-an-hour increase. In April 2018, the province’s social development department doled out $12 million for special-care homes to help pay for wage increases and other employee benefits.
All the public funds have been disbursed to the 12 homes CUPE represents.
“All but this one complied with CUPE’s requests that it be paid and that it be paid before Christmas retroactively. For some reason, this one employer hasn’t even acknowledged any of my correspondence,” Légère says.
The union says its members have more questions than answers, including where the government funding ended up, was it ever even applied for, and why they haven’t received it.
Marc Carriere, the owner of Wisdom Manor, declined a request for a formal interview but over the phone said he’s met with the union.
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Carriere said he gives his 25 employees a yearly raise but wouldn’t expand on whether he received provincial money.
The union formed less than a year ago and has yet to put together a collective agreement.
“They’re not asking for anything that’s not expected. It was already promised by the department to provide said monies to the members and I think it’s only fair for them to get what was promised,” said Andrew Woodcock, the national servicing representative for Dalhousie.
READ MORE: Nursing home workers strike looming in New Brunswick
CUPE is meeting with the provincial minister responsible for social development later this month and says until then, they’ll continue to “pressure” the employer until its members are paid what they’re owed.
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