CUPE lifts strike at community clinic

ARICHAT NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) long term care workers will pause job action at an urgent treatment centre in Arichat, Nova Scotia. After discussions with community members and long term care workers, CUPE 5032 has decided to pause their strike at the community clinic attached to St. Anne Community and Nursing Care Centre, which is staffed by their members.

“Before the strike began, our employer deemed the urgent treatment centre non-essential, which is why it has been closed for the duration of the strike,” explained CUPE 5032 President Annette Boudreau, “but 8 weeks in, that’s simply not the case anymore. This small community needs an accessible clinic nearby.”

The St. Anne’s Urgent Treatment Centre is the only medical treatment centre near Arichat and handles many day-to-day medical needs for the community members in the area. It is one of a few new local clinics still standing, as the province has shut down many others in recent years.

“The past few months have shown us one thing very clearly: Premier Houston doesn’t care about communities, or what we need,” continued Boudreau. “Not only has he ignored the 3,600 workers on strike for 8 weeks, the residents, their families, and the general public, his government slashed funding for community necessities like libraries, let rental and electricity costs run wild, and pushed forward mining operations that will certainly harm our environment, and therefore our province’s future.”

“Every action he takes shows clearly that he has his priorities—and they don’t include everyday Nova Scotians. But that doesn’t mean we have to be the same. We are taking a step that will limit the effectiveness of our own strike because we, unlike Houston, care about our community and the people living in it, and that’s something I will always be proud of,” finished Boudreau.

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