CUPE Members Rally For Long-Term Care Support Workers

Unionized long-term care workers rallied across Nova Scotia today.

CUPE Nova Scotia members held a Day of Action to call for a pay raise for long-term care support workers.

Carl Crouse is a national CUPE representative based in Yarmouth. He says the raises for continuing care assistant’s earlier this year are appreciated but have left support workers feeling undervalued.

“CCA’s can’t do it alone and they need their entire support team with them. It is time for all of those classifications to be properly recognized and compensated for the valuable work that they do.”

In February, Premier Tim Houston announced a 23% pay increase for CCA’s. The province said at the time it would bring the annual top salary for CCA’s to $48,419, an annual increase for full-time CCAs of close to $9,000.

Chairperson of the CUPE Nova Scotia Long-Term Care and Community Services Coordinating Committee Louise Riley discussed the wage level support workers are currently at.

“Their income is very very low. Some of the support classifications are making $16 an hour.”

Support Staff members at Shoreham Village in Chester. Photo: Michelle Broome.

Those classifications include dietary and kitchen staff, laundry, maintenance, recreation, and others who work in support positions in nursing homes.

Charlene MacDonald is a dietary worker and represents support staff for CUPE local 1082, St Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax. She was at the rally and discussed her own situation.

“I think I might have, probably in 26 years, got a three dollar raise, it’s time.”

In response to the rallies, Seniors Minister Barbara Adams released a statement praising support workers and saying the place to discuss wages is at the bargaining table.

CUPE Members at Harbourview Haven. Photo: Evan Taylor.

Laura Stewart is a CCA and president CUPE local 4919, Harbourview Haven. She wants supports workers to receive a wage increase prior to provincial bargaining, just like CCA’s did.

“We want for them what we got as well, because they are deserving” says Stewart. “Long term care just doesn’t include nursing, it includes all of these guys and we can’t work alone without support staff.”

The message from CUPE today has been clear: It’s a team effort to run a nursing home and no one should be left behind.

“We all should be working as a team in order for our residents to live their last days of life with integrity” says Donna Ogden-Landry president for CUPE local 3036 Villa St. Joseph du Lac in Yarmouth County. “They’re dividing us by giving a raise to CCA’s and only offering 5% over four years for the rest of the support workers.”

Twenty-nine rallies were held in communities across Nova Scotia today.

With files from Kevin Northup, Anastasia Payne and Evan Taylor.