Thousands of stories shared across Nova Scotia in support of a livable wage for striking long term care workers

HALIFAX, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Over 7,500 Nova Scotians have submitted their ‘stories of care’ online, in support of the ongoing province-wide strike in long term care (LTC) via storiesofcare.ca. From workers to residents of long term care facilities, to family members of residents, these messages of support demonstrate that Nova Scotians understand the value of what workers do in this sector.

“While government continues to undervalue the work that we do for seniors across this province, it’s clear that the people of Nova Scotia understand the value of the work we do for their loved ones,” said Christa Sweeney, Chair of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Long Term and Community Care Committee.

Over 30 CUPE locals in long term care are now on strike across the province, with some in their sixth week on the picket line. Public and community support for workers’ demands for a livable wage remains strong.

“I am a CCA, my coworkers and I work very hard to look after the residents in our care. We do not make a living wage,” writes one worker. “Many CCA's have more than 1 job to pay their rent and groceries. Why are we not paid a living wage? We work short all the time because many staff don’t stay. We are exhausted and don’t know why we are not paid enough to live on!”

“I am supporting the long term care workers because I have seen their ongoing struggles firsthand,” shared a family member of a resident. “My mom spent the last 6 months of her life in a nursing home. The staff at that time were severely understaffed, and the patients paid the price. The staff did their best to accommodate, but the numbers were too high to keep up with. If our seniors are to leave us with any kind of dignity or pride of any kind, the staff, at the very least, deserve to be paid for the enormously strenuous tasks they perform while under-staffed!!”

A current resident in a long term care facility asks: “Dear honorable politicians, ask yourselves what you would do the next time NATURE CALLS if you lost your independence? What if you should come through the front doors of a LTC facility and become dependent on staff for EVERYTHING?

“Residents in LTC don't have the luxury of time. This is OUR time NOW! Treat CUPE with the DIGNITY they deserve! before it's too late. CUPE's plight is honorable and will sustain Nova Scotia's future mandate in safeguarding the LTC sector.”

These stories affirm the results of a recent public poll which found that 91% of respondents agree that long term care workers deserve a living wage, and 71% support the workers in the strike.

Only 22% believe the government’s offer is fair and Nova Scotia cannot afford to pay more than what was offered.

Over 3,300 long term care workers are on strike, across 34 CUPE locals demanding government negotiate a fair deal that improves wages and addresses recruitment and retention issues. The majority of workers in this sector are earning well below the living wage for Nova Scotia.

Thousands have granted permission for their message of support to be displayed publicly, and those can be viewed at: storiesofcare.ca.

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