Nova Scotia’s senior’s minister says the latest deal the union representing long-term care workers presented, was not feasible.
The statement by Barb Adams, Friday, comes four weeks after 3,000 CUPE members walked the picket lines and another round of bargaining.
Adams says they were optimistic when the union approached her office with an amended deal, Thursday.
“CUPE has been asking for almost double what has already been accepted by 27,500 employees working in home care, acute care and long term,” says Adams. “When we returned to the table, CUPE leadership started by asking for even more.”
She says the offer on the table includes:
- wage increases of at least 12 to 24 per cent
- retroactive pay dating back to 2023, meaning thousands of dollars in worker’s pockets right away
- a 70 per cent increase in shift and weekend premiums, effective upon ratification
- funding to enroll in a defined benefit pension plan for facilities that do not currently have one in place
Adams says the government calls on CUPE to “stop moving the goal post” and let their members vote on the offer presented.
Meanwhile, CUPE says they went into talks hopeful but that hope quickly died.
In a statement, Long Term Care Coordinator Kim Cail says, “The new offer which expires in 2028 was better than the last but would still leave support at just over $23 by the end. That’s not a living wage now and it certainly won’t be in 2028.”
The strike continued Friday with the addition of CUPE 3454 Shoreham Village, with two more next week to walk off the job, to make 32 facilities.
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