CUPE Nova Scotia Long Term & Community Care Committee

Staff at the Society for Treatment of Autism voted 99 percent in favour of possible strike action on Monday. The residential care workers look after adults and children with Autism living in group homes in Sydney, North Sydney and Sydney Mines. They are funded by the Department of Community Services, and represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4172.

CUPE National Representative Tammy Martin says in addition to supporting the wage demands at the lead table, the workers are willing to hit the street over local issues. “A key issue for these workers is that government won’t pay them for the after-hours time they spend with clients when bringing them to appointments in Halifax,” says Martin. “They are only paid for 16 hours, while the trip may take two and a half days. They feel taken advantage of. “

Martin says the employees’ last contract expired in March of 2021 and they have not seen a wage increase since that time.

Darren Bartlett, president of CUPE Local 4172 says the employees care deeply for their clients but they can’t continue to work this hard without fair wages and benefits. “Our jobs are physical and demanding,” says Bartlett. “We look after personal hygiene, cleaning, meals and snacks, perform health checks and administer medical treatments, including insulin injections and changing colostomy bags. We manage high behaviours, receive and order medications, manage tube feedings. It’s a lot for $20.33 an hour.”

Counsellors and support staff who work with disabled adults at Sunset Community in Pugwash have voted for possible job action. The approximately 151 employees work at Sunset’s adult residential centre or in group homes and are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 972.

CUPE Representative Kim Cail says the bargaining unit has settled their local issues and took the strike vote in support of lead table bargaining, where agreement has yet to be reached on wages, pensions, benefits and contract language.

“We are still very far apart on what constitutes a fair compensation package, and we have yet to discuss some important contract language such as protection from violence on the job,” says Cail. “It has been a very frustrating experience for community services employees right across the province, who are about to enter their third year without a wage increase.”

CUPE Local 972 president Jeannette Davies says staff are worried about leaving their residents without care. “We don’t want to go on strike, but we may have no choice,” she says. “We’re tired of working short staffed, and of not being able to pay our bills. It’s hard to retain people when you can’t offer them a living wage.”

Dear DCS members,

Lead Table bargaining came to a halt on September 27^th after two days of unproductive conciliation meetings.

Since that time, Local 3067, New Dawn, took a strike vote with 100 percent of members voting in favour.

Many Locals are working on their Essential Services plans in preparation for taking strike votes. Nine of the 19 Locals affected by the Essential Services Act are close to having their Essential Services agreement in place.

Your CUPE representatives met on October 6 to strategize about how we can all work together to put pressure on the government to come back to the table and bargain fairly, or really to bargain at all! Because there has been virtually no bargaining at the Lead Table, other than a final offer.

It is challenging to organize information pickets and do strike planning when we are geographically scattered and have locals that have only a few members. But this is not an insurmountable challenge. It simply requires planning and determination and the will to come together and make our voices heard.

We will be holding a Zoom Town Hall meeting on October 18 for all members who work in the DCS sector. There will be two sessions: 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm. It is hoped that all members will have an opportunity to attend one of the sessions. We will be discussing what is happening with bargaining and where we go from here.

It is important that as many members as possible attend these sessions. Please spread the word.

ZOOM Town Hall Meeting
on DCS Bargaining
Wednesday, October 18
3:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Here is a recap of bargaining so far:

• The Lead Table met with the Employer on March 21 & 22 where proposals were exchanged. Because the Local that is the Lead Table, L3067—New Dawn, had not completed their Local bargaining, the time was spent on Local issues. (To be compliant with the Provincial protocol this had to be done first.)
• Bargaining was set to resume on May 3 & 4. By noon on May 3rd the lawyer for the Employer/government declared an impasse and stated that we might as well go to Conciliation. We had had no meaningful discussion on any of our proposals.
• Conciliation was scheduled for Sept 26 & 27.
• We met at 9 am on Sept 26 where the Employer tabled what they called a “final offer.”
• We were told that a wage adjustment for Counsellors that is equal to the CCAs in long term care would be offered. The Employer’s final offer is NOT equal—it is 46 cents less per hour. We are also asking for an increase that acknowledges the higher level of responsibility. (Counsellors have historically earned a bit more than CCAs because of a higher level of responsibility)
• The wage offer ignores our demand to bring Counsellors who are earning only 90 percent of the CCA rate up to par with the rest of the Counsellors. (Four Locals at the 90% rate)
• The offer included a 1% increase in contributions for those that have an RRSP. We are asking that all members throughout the sector have a Defined Benefit Pension Plan.
• NONE of our proposals were agreed upon or even seriously entertained. We had 10 outstanding items going into Conciliation—we still have 9!

The outstanding items include:

• Wages—an increase to all Counsellor positions to acknowledge the work that you do! (maintaining the “bit” higher rate than what the CCAs make)
• Adjustment for the 4 Locals only making 90% of the old CCA rate.
• Adjustment for support staff in the Institutions
• Shift and weekend premiums increase (if we get a 5-year deal)
• Language around guaranteed paid training IF the employer or DCS changes the qualifications (to protect everyone with the changes coming to the sector)
• Defined benefit plan for the 13 Locals that do not have one
• Long term disability plan at a 50/50 cost share
• Leave for Domestic Violence
• New in-depth language around violence in the workplace
• The term of the agreement (we are asking for a 5 year term)

NEXT STEPS:

We encourage all of the Locals to get their Essential Services plans done.

We may be asking some Locals to take a strike vote, and/or participate in rallies, info pickets etc.

Servicing reps will be working with their Locals every step of the way.

We know many of you are frustrated that government refuses to acknowledge the important work that you do. We are frustrated too.

Let’s put our heads together and see what we can achieve as a united force. The union that plans together, succeeds together!

See you at the ZOOM Town Hall of October 18.