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Thousands of long-term care workers in Nova Scotia are preparing to take job action after reaching an impasse in collective bargaining with the provincial government.
More than 2,200 workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees gave notice Friday morning that they’ll hit the picket lines Monday at 7 a.m. The strike will initially impact 25 homes across the province.
CUPE represents more than 5,000 long-term care workers across 56 homes, and more workers could give strike notice in the days ahead, a union spokesperson said.
Ty Loppie, a personal care worker at St. Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax, said she and her colleagues are holding out for a living wage.
“We have members that are living in poverty,” Loppie said in an interview at a CUPE rally Friday. “Full-time hours, but still living in poverty.”
Ty Loppie is a personal care worker at St. Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax, where she’s worked for six years. (Taryn Grant/CBC)
The workers include continuing care assistants, licensed practical nurses, housekeeping staff, recreational assistants, physiotherapists and a variety of other roles.
Current wages vary widely, depending on job classification.
According to CUPE, the starting hourly wage for the lowest pay band (which includes housekeeping and laundry workers) is $18.77 and the highest earners (occupational therapists and physiotherapists) receive up to $40.21.
The union says 80 per cent of workers are CCAs and their pay ranges from $22.23 to $24.10.
The living wage in Halifax was estimated in 2024 to be $28.30 an hour.
What’s on offer
The government has offered wage increases of between 12 and 24 per cent, depending on job classification, as well as a 70 per cent increase in shift and weekend premiums. Pay bumps would be retroactive to 2023, when the last collective agreement expired.
In a letter sent to long-term care facilities earlier this week and obtained by CBC News, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams highlighted that workers represented by other unions have accepted the offer.
CUPE gave notice Friday morning that more than 2,200 long-term care workers intend to strike starting Monday morning. (Taryn Grant/CBC)
“Unfortunately, in long-term care, CUPE has rejected the offer outright without giving members the opportunity to vote. This is concerning, and I sincerely hope CUPE leadership reconsiders and lets members vote on a deal that impacts them directly,” she said.
Loppie said members trust the elected members at the bargaining table to secure a good deal. She added that other unions signed their agreements with a “me-too clause” stating that if CUPE gets a better deal, they also get one.
She said other workers may have agreed to the offer with that in mind.
“CUPE is one of the larger unions, so we have more resources to be able to fight for better wages,” Loppie said.
Service disruptions
Adams’s letter notes that long-term care homes have essential service agreements that ensure critical support will continue “without interruption.”
“For families and residents in homes that could be impacted by a strike, I know you must be worried,” she wrote.
“If you or your family member lives in a home that may be impacted, the home’s administrator will be in touch to share important details with you about what to expect.”
Barbara Adams is Nova Scotia’s minister of seniors and long-term care. (Dave Laughlin/CBC)
Eight of the homes where workers are expected to strike Monday are owned by Shannex.
A spokesperson declined an interview request but said in a statement that its facility staff “have been thoughtfully planning” for the strike, taking guidance from the essential services agreements.
Some people who volunteer at Shannex homes received notice Friday that facilities will pause recreation and volunteer programs during the strike.
Spokesperson Jacqueline Klaus said those programs are not covered by the essential services contracts.
“We recognize this is a difficult situation for everyone involved and are hopeful for a positive and timely resolution, so residents have access to the full complement of services they deserve,” she said.
St. Vincent’s Nursing Home is also pausing some non-essential services. In a letter to families, the home’s CEO said recreation, hairdressing and church service may be unavailable during the strike.
He said family visitation will continue and is encouraged.
A spokesperson for the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care did not answer questions about how the government intends to respond to the strike notice. In an email, they highlighted that staff at nearly two-thirds of nursing homes in Nova Scotia are not represented by CUPE and therefore will not be impacted by the strike.
According to CUPE, workers will be on the picket lines Monday even if the government calls the union back to the bargaining table.
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