Hundreds of long-term care workers in Nova Scotia represented by CUPE are poised to go on strike next week if a deal isn’t reached with the province.
The move comes after negotiations broke down in March as the union representing the workers pushes for wage increases.
“Monday morning, we will be on the picket line,” said Gordie Ferguson, president of CUPE 1183 at Harbourstone Enhanced Care in Sydney River, N.S.
In total, CUPE represents about 5,000 long-term care workers at 52 nursing homes in the province who have been without a contract since 2023.
Those affected include long-term care assistants, licensed practical nurses, food services and maintenance staff.
Ferguson says negotiations with the province reached an impasse on March 24.
He adds that workers in the province are the lowest paid in Atlantic Canada, despite the fact the province increased wages for continuing care assistants by about 23 per cent in 2022.
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“It seems like they’re forgetting about us in there,” he said.
“We literally spend sometimes, most of the time, more time with our residents than we do with our own families. So I think that’s worth a living wage.”
Nova Scotia’s long-term care minister rejected the idea of a possible strike when asked about it on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there. There is no strike date yet,” said Minister Barbara Adams.
She said workers at 23 long-term care homes, which are not represented by CUPE, accepted the same offer and accused CUPE of not sharing the details with its members.
“It’s a very competitive offer, and we hope that the union will take it to their members and let them have a say,” said Adams.
But Ferguson disputes this and says the offer has indeed been shared with his co-workers.
It appears some homes are already preparing their clients and families for a possible strike.
In a letter, Ocean View Continuing Care Centre in Dartmouth told its clients the union “representing some staff at Ocean View will commence a legal strike effective Monday, April 13th at 7 a.m.”
The letter went on to say the care centre will maintain essential services, which is a requirement in the province, through non-unionized staff and management.
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