CUPE long-term care workers in Nova Scotia prepared to strike next week - BERITAJA

Hundreds of semipermanent attraction workers successful Nova Scotia represented by CUPE are poised to spell connected onslaught adjacent week if a woody isn’t reached pinch the province.

The move comes aft negotiations collapsed down successful March arsenic the national representing the workers pushes for costs increases.

“Monday morning, we will beryllium connected the picket line,”  said Gordie Ferguson, president of CUPE 1183 astatine Harbourstone Enhanced Care successful Sydney River, N.S.

In total, CUPE represents about 5,000 semipermanent attraction workers astatine 52 nursing homes successful the state who person been without a statement since 2023.

Those affected see semipermanent attraction assistants, licensed applicable nurses, nutrient services and attraction staff.

Ferguson says negotiations pinch the state reached an impasse connected March 24.

He adds that workers successful the state are the lowest paid successful Atlantic Canada, contempt the truth the state accrued wages for continuing attraction assistants by about 23 per cent successful 2022.

“It seems for illustration they’re forgetting about america successful there,” he said.

“We virtually walk sometimes, about of the time, much clip pinch our residents than we do pinch our ain families. So I deliberation that’s worthy a surviving wage.”

Nova Scotia’s semipermanent attraction curate rejected the thought of a imaginable onslaught erstwhile asked about it connected Tuesday.

“There’s a batch of misinformation retired there. There is nary onslaught day yet,” said Minister Barbara Adams.

She said workers astatine 23 semipermanent attraction homes, which are not represented by CUPE, accepted the aforesaid connection and accused CUPE of not sharing the specifications pinch its members.

“It’s a very competitory offer, and we dream that the national will return it to their members and fto them person a say,” said Adams.

But Ferguson disputes this and says the connection has so been shared pinch his co-workers.

It appears immoderate homes are already preparing their clients and families for a imaginable strike.

In a letter, Ocean View Continuing Care Centre successful Dartmouth told its clients the national “representing immoderate unit astatine Ocean View will commence a ineligible onslaught effective Monday, April 13th astatine 7 a.m.”

The missive went connected to opportunity the attraction centre will support basal services, which is simply a request successful the province, done non-unionized unit and management.