Port Hawkesbury Long Term Care Workers Vote to Strike

CAPE BRETON, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Long term care workers from Port Hawkesbury Nursing Home, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3630, voted 100% in favour of a strike mandate last week, demonstrating their resolve to fight for better wages and improved recruitment and retention initiatives for the sector.

“As inspiring as it is to see my fellow long term care workers come together to fight for a better contract, the truth is that none of us want to be in this position,” explained CUPE 3630 President Laurie MacNeil. “We want to take care of our residents; we want to continue doing the work we love. That’s the truth. But the government’s refusal to offer us a fair deal that acknowledges both the work we do, and the increased cost of living forced us into a corner.”

Several essential classifications in long term care, such as dietary aides and seamstresses, make less than $20 an hour, putting them well behind the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ living wage estimates for Nova Scotia. But they’re not alone, classifications such as cooks and maintenance also make several dollars less than their counterparts in other Atlantic provinces.

“When we talk wages, regardless of the job or classification, there’s always someone who says, ‘well, they should get a different job,’ and my response to that is a question in return: who will take care of our elderly if every long term care worker leaves the sector? What are we supposed to do then?” asked CUPE Long Term Care Coordinator Tammy Martin. “The solution isn’t changing jobs—it’s paying these workers what they deserve.”

CUPE long term care workers in the Sydney area will be gathering outside the Mayflower Mall on December 5th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for an information picket to raise further awareness about their bargaining issues.

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