LTC Bargaining Update – Bargaining Dates Cancelled by Employer

The next two bargaining dates, previously scheduled for September 24 and 25, have been cancelled by the employer, citing the need to review a recently concluded agreement with another union. At this time, the employer has been given no mandate on wages. After four previous bargaining dates, this is disappointing, but not surprising from the Houston government.

On September 23 the committee will attend the opening of the Nova Scotia Legislature for the fall session. Our hope is to draw attention to our sector and our struggles, and call out the Houston government for once again delaying our bargaining and new contract. If you are able, please join us. The more in attendance, the louder our message.

We are also planning a lunchtime rally to be held during the Long Term Care and Community Services conference to be held in Pictou on October 22 and 23. More information about timing, speakers, and transportation will be sent closer to the date.

Please keep an eye on your email or our website for further updates about bargaining, the work of the committee, or sector-wide events.

LTC Bargaining Update – First Day of Bargaining Goes Well

Bargaining

Lead table bargaining, headed by St. Vincent’s Guest House, began on August 14th with our first exchange of proposals. The bargaining team discussed the priority items affecting our sector and tabled wage increases for all classifications that would, if agreed to, bring those trailing behind the rest of Atlantic Canada up. In addition to this position, we will be focusing our messaging around “Flat 5,” which echoes our proposals for $5 increases for every classification. We have four further bargaining dates scheduled in September.

This week, we asked members at St. Vincent’s Guest House to record short videos of themselves offering encouraging words to the bargaining committee that we could share to social media as one longer message of support and spread the word that bargaining has begun—with the full and earnest support of the membership. If you want to send a message to the lead table too, record a quick video in selfie mode on your phone and upload it to: https://www.dropbox.com/request/WSZnOjGo7nvqHSsr8xGx

Committee Actions

At the beginning of August, we also held two strike preparation days which provided education, support, and a chance for members to ask questions about what potential job action could look like in the future. While we don’t want to go on strike and hope bargaining continues smoothly, the committee believes it’s important for the sector to be prepared, so we will continue to provide education and further communication to keep all members in the loop.

Please keep an eye on your email or our website for further updates about bargaining, the work of the committee, or sector-wide events.

LTCC Committee Update – Annual Meeting Day Set

Local 1082 held a meeting with Tammy Martin on July 7th. This was to see where they stand with Lead Table preparations. They have completed a great deal of work, however there is more to still be done. We came up with a slogan at the AGM in May “It’s Time” well we moved past that and now here we are “It’s Past Time”. We are getting ready for the first date we have for August 14th and 15th. Updated will be given.
We have a save the date for our annual meeting October 21st and 22nd. This is the new fall date. This will be a bargaining meeting for Community Services. There will be other items to cover for Long Term Care.

LTC Bargaining Update – Lead Table Chosen

The committee met with the new Long Term Care Coordinator, Tammy Martin, to discuss the current state of long term care and the progress of bargaining. Together, with the support of the Human Rights Representative Jenna Brookfield, we updated Tammy on how things are going in the sector and established a new and improved strategic bargaining plan. We set goals regarding the lead table protocol for St. Vincent’s (CUPE 1082), the function of the bargaining committee, and planned future educational workshops for locals.

We understand that consistent communication is of the utmost importance to our fellow members, so we committed to providing more frequent updates. We also plan to hold more virtual and in person meetings so that locals can attend and update each other and the committee on the status of their Essential Service Agreements (ESAs) and local bargaining.

This update is the first of many to come as we strive for improved communication with our fellow members. If you have any questions, please reach out to your local’s president, your Area VP, or your local’s servicing representative.

Update for members in Local 4471: We’re headed to conciliation

Dear member,

As you likely know, the Lead Table for the coordinated bargaining effort for CUPE members employed by the Department of Community Services reached a tentative agreement on March 6, 2024.

For our members at HomeBridge Youth Society, we are headed to conciliation for local bargaining. So far, we have had three total days of bargaining for Local 4471, between May 10, 2022, and September 28, 2022. During these dates, the employer was not willing to discuss monetary items—and some non-monetary items—specific to local bargaining, until the Lead Table had settled.

However, the employer is still not moving on the following items:

  • Definition of Team Leader
  • Seniority scheduling for part-time employees
  • Vacation
  • Bereavement Leave
  • Definition of Service – the employer has in fact put forward a proposal for this item, but it remains on the table as the bargaining team has not accepted the employer’s proposal.

We are currently seeking dates to return to conciliation (tentatively scheduled for June 13, 2024), but no date has been confirmed. Please look out for more updates on your local’s bargaining proceedings, and please also reach out to a member of your bargaining team if you have any questions.

Deal reached for lead table in DCS coordinated bargaining

DCS BARGAINING UPDATE FROM CUPE

The Long-Term Care and Community Services Coordinating Committee is glad to share that at Monday’s lead table bargaining meeting, we got a deal!

The Committee were at the table but, as always, this victory belongs to members. After three long years in bargaining—and many more without a fair contract—we are proud to have been able to secure a good deal for members in DCS.

This would not have been possible without the steadfast commitment of over twenty locals across Nova Scotia. Your unity, your resilience, and your power as workers is what pushed the provincial government to stop backtracking, to stop pushing for concessions, and to accept a deal.

We would also like to remind members that we are holding info sessions over Zoom to go over details at 5:30pm and 7:30pm tomorrow, March 7th. If you have not received the link and meeting details, please contact the Department of Community Services Coordinator, Kim Cail, at: kcail@cupe.ca.

The Committee would like to thank every single one of the 2,000 CUPE members in DCS for your strength, and your solidarity.

Thanks to your support and public pressure, we are going back to the table for a fair deal

DCS BARGAINING UPDATE FROM CUPE

As we were able to share with many members in two Zoom sessions this past Wednesday, we are going back to the bargaining table this coming Monday, March 4th.

We know it’s been an unbelievably long road, and we want to encourage members to stay strong, now more than ever. This is the first time that members in this sector have come together in a coordinated bargaining effort. When you’ve been pushed aside and ignored for so long, it can be hard to think about how important these moments are—not just for members, but for the entire sector, workers and clients alike. This is a historic round of bargaining, and employers know it.

Two weeks ago, the employer made a so-called “final” offer, after three years of prolonged negotiations. This offer directly targeted our coordinated bargaining effort across the sector by introducing concessions that would only apply to some members, as well as backtracking on previously agreed issues. These are typical tactics used to discourage members, drain our momentum and drag bargaining out even further.

They’re trying to push members in community services to their limit. But we pushed back. The Long-Term Care and Community Services Coordinating Committee has made it clear to the provincial government that we will only accept a fair deal for our members.

They wanted us to get tired. They wanted us to give up. They wanted you to get tired. They wanted you to give up.

But we did not give up. And you did not give up. And now the employer is ready to come back to the table, and we are ready to fight for a fair deal.

Since we launched our letter-writing campaign at DCSworkersdeservebetter.ca, almost 7,000 emails have been sent to our elected representatives in Nova Scotia. In the past two weeks, our campaign has reached 60,000 people across the province.

For every negative comment you see on social media, there are community members who see your contribution to Nova Scotia. For every day you’ve been waiting for a deal, there are thousands who are hearing our message that community services workers deserve better.

We encourage all members who have received their Department of Community Services sweaters to wear them to work on Monday. If you don’t have one, we ask that you wear all black and inform your coworkers to do the same.

As we mentioned in our last update, we want to keep you involved. If we don’t reach a fair deal on Monday, we have materials ready for members to make their voices heard.

You’ll hear from us after Monday’s bargaining meeting, and if the employer is not willing to make a fair deal to our members, get ready to bring the frustration you’ve been feeling to the phone.

Next Friday is Call-Your-MLA day for community services, and we will provide a phone script and information on how members and supporters can identify and contact their MLA.

Above all else, we hope you will remember this: You deserve better!

Latest offer from employer is an attack on our solidarity

DCS BARGAINING UPDATE FROM CUPE

The Long-Term Care and Community Services Coordinating Committee is incredibly grateful to our members in community services for their patience and support during the bargaining process and this week, while information about the employer’s latest offer is circulating. 

We know members have been waiting for months for this process to be concluded. And we know some of our members have been waiting for years for a wage increase. Workers in community services have been given far too little, for far too long. 

That’s why we are ready to fight for what we know our members deserve.  

The latest offer from the employer is a direct attack on our solidarity. They want our coordinated efforts in community services to fall apart, so that they can get away with giving workers less.  

This offer is full of concessions, it backtracks on several previously negotiated issues, and is an attempt to force us to negotiate two-tier benefits for our members.

We are preparing to respond, and we are planning actions. Community services has been pushed to the side for too long. It’s simply not fair that those doing similar work in other sectors should get something different than our members in DCS. Let’s show them that we are united and that we are motivated!  

We are putting together a Call-Your-MLA day as soon as possible and will have more information and instructions for members by the end of this week.  

We know you’re tired, we know you’re frustrated, and we know you’re angry—Who wouldn’t be? Let’s turn that anger into collective power. Let’s make sure the employers and this Government hear your frustration loud and clear.  

This has been a long, long road. But we want to take this moment to remind members that our goal in coordinated bargaining was to have strength in our solidarity. This is the first time in history that this Sector has shown government that they will just not accept “leftovers” from the Acute Care or Long-Term Care Sectors. 

You deserve better! 

It isn’t right that you don’t make the same wage as others doing similar work in other sectors. It isn’t right that you don’t have the same pension as your fellow members in this sector. It isn’t right that the employer is attempting to cause division among the locals by backtracking in their offer and dragging out bargaining even longer.  

They’re hoping we get tired. They’re hoping we give in. We won’t.  

We encourage members to remain steadfast in your demands, and firm in your solidarity. We can’t let them win. We’ve been in this together for years, let’s finish it together.  

PLEASE watch out for updates at your Local membership meetings, on CUPE’s or your local’s websites or Facebook pages, or from the Long-Term Care and Community Services Coordinating Committee or myself, the DCS coordinator.  

Interim update: Immediate next steps for DCS bargaining

DCS BARGAINING UPDATE FROM CUPE

As we continue to move forward with the coordinated bargaining effort in Community Services, we wanted to provide another short update to members on where we are in the process.  

The Executive of the Long-Term Care/Community Services Coordinating Committee is set to meet next Tuesday, February 6th. During this meeting, the Bargaining Committee will also be discussing outstanding items. 

The conciliation officer, assigned to the Lead Table, has been on vacation, returning to work next Monday, February 5th. 

The employer/Government stated that they should have an offer to present by the end of that week (this information comes from Gary Rankin, the lawyer negotiating for the employer).  

So, please watch out for additional updates in the coming weeks!  

Our thanks again to members for their ongoing support and engagement. We are pushing forward, and we are fighting for our members in community services.  

Update for members on coordinated bargaining effort in the Community Services sector

DCS BARGAINING UPDATE FROM CUPE

Thanks to our members for their patience and support as we continue to bargain for Locals in the Department of Community Services sector, with Local 3067 acting as Lead Table. Following a personal leave, the Coordinator for DCS, Kim Cail, is now back to work and we hope to have additional information for members very soon.

In the meantime, we ask that members sign and circulate the petition launched just before the Winter holidays. You can find the petition here: cupe.ca/community-services-workers-ns

 

NEW DCS LOGO

We have also been working to develop digital campaigning resources for our members and encourage everyone to use our new logo for CUPE locals in the DCS sector on social media.