Your lead table bargaining team met with representatives of government and employers today, along with the province’s chief conciliation officer. After tabling our own amended offer, we were presented the same exact offer that was tabled on May 7th. After hours of discussion, government came back with a small addition of their own version of a previous union proposal around CCAs mentoring students.
This offer was unacceptable 20 days ago and it’s unacceptable now. Long term care workers deserve to be closer to the living wage in Nova Scotia—and this government is telling us again and again that they don’t agree. They are telling us they don’t believe we deserve to earn enough money to live on.
We are 7 weeks into our strike and the public, concerned family members, and the residents we care for all stand with us. They know we deserve better—even if government doesn’t.
Hearing that government is completely unwilling to move on striking workers’ wages the same day that four new ministers were appointed—meaning those four Nova Scotians just got a $63,250 raise—is as shocking as it is appalling.
The message that this sends is that they believe they deserve to be well compensated, while long term care workers struggle to make ends meet, pay our rent, and buy groceries.
At work, we are family; we are friends; we are support and care and stability. What we do is important. It is vital. We deserve wages that recognize the value of this work.
We know it may be frustrating to hear that we went back to the table and still could not achieve a tentative agreement. We are also frustrated. It is disappointing to come back to the table in good faith, with a new offer, and be told that the people on the other side are unwilling to move.
We will organize town halls to provide a more detailed update to the membership and advise of next steps. Please keep an eye on your email for further information.
In solidarity,
Your Lead Table Bargaining Team
Christa Sweeney, Chair of Long Term and Community Care Committee
Ashton Brown, Representing Cape Breton from Local 1485
Laura Stewart, Representing Central from Local 4919
Greg Williams, Representing Western from Local 5248
Janet Macdonald, President of Lead Table Local, CUPE 1082
Edwina Donovan, CUPE 1082
Dale Henneberry, CUPE 1082
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