Lockeport Long Term Care Workers Vote to Strike

LOCKEPORT, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Surf Lodge Long Term Care workers, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3257, voted 100% in favour of a strike mandate. CUPE 3257 is fighting for fair wages that acknowledge their pivotal role in the health care system and improved recruitment and retention to reduce mandatory overtime issues.

“Every day, long term care workers, whether LPNs, CCAs, Cooks, Ward Clerks, or Laundry workers, come to work and play an instrumental role in taking care of Nova Scotia’s seniors,” said CUPE 3257 President Dawn Scott. “We take on the role of family and friends. We’re their board game buddies, their tea party guests; the person they gossip with or share theories about the latest TV show plot. We offer so much care, and this round of bargaining makes it feel like what we do, the care we offer, means nothing to this government.”

CUPE filed for conciliation last week after bargaining talks with representatives of the Houston government stalled following what the union considered to be a low-ball wage offer.

“Long term care works because there are dedicated people who spend their lives caring for the residents of each home,” said CUPE Long Term Care Coordinator Tammy Martin. “Without them, our seniors would be left with no support or relying heavily on their families for basic care. Their job is vital, instrumental even, yet the Houston government refuses to recognize their importance with the wages they deserve.”

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