An Open Letter to Long-Term Care Staff, Residents, Families, and Nova Scotians

NOTE: The following is open letter from Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care

On Friday, May 22, authorities representatives on behalf of employers requested CUPE management to return to the desk to proceed negotiations and assist convey this strike to an finish. We had been upset that regardless of providing CUPE management to fulfill Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they’d not discover the time to return again to the desk till subsequent week.

It is essential to notice that our purpose stays unchanged: we would like a decision.

Our message to residents and households is straightforward: we all know this example has been disturbing and troublesome. Long-term care residents deserve stability, consistency and compassionate care. Families deserve confidence that their family members are being cared for safely and respectfully.

While important service agreements stay in place, any disruption in care locations extra stress on residents, households, employees and long-term care houses. This is why we proceed to deal with reaching a good and sustainable settlement as shortly as doable.

Our authorities believes within the collective bargaining course of. Over the previous a number of years, now we have efficiently supported or negotiated nearly 400 agreements throughout the general public sector with minimal disruption to staff, households and providers. We have carried out that by remaining respectful, staying open-minded and persevering with to work towards options even when negotiations change into troublesome.

Although this course of has been difficult from the beginning, the federal government stays dedicated to reaching a decision and can proceed working towards one.

To CUPE members: we worth the work you do. Your work issues deeply to residents, households, communities and the province as a complete.

Throughout this course of, the federal government has amended its place in an effort to achieve settlement.

On May 7, we considerably improved the provide and we’re unsure whether or not CUPE shared the amendments with their members. We wish to right that. The present proposal now contains:

• wage will increase of 12–24% over the primary 4 years of the settlement;
• retroactive pay to 2023;
• elevated night and weekend premiums;
• entry to an outlined profit pension plan;
• a further $2 per hour starting in 2027 for workers incomes beneath $23/hour, new on this proposal; and
• a further 1.5% improve for all staff in 2027, new on this proposal.

These enhancements had been made in direct response to issues raised by frontline staff, notably staff in decrease wage classifications.

More than 27,500 staff have already voted for and are benefiting from related agreements., together with staff represented by different unions and CUPE-represented staff, in dwelling care and hospitals. Two extra persevering with care agreements have been ratified in latest weeks, together with one for CUPE in homecare.

It is regarding that CUPE accepted related agreements in different sectors, but long-term care staff stay on strike with out having the chance to vote on the present provide. As a consequence, these staff are being prevented from accessing increased wages, improved advantages and retroactive pay that others are already receiving. This appears inherently unfair to CUPE members.

CUPE management’s resolution to not put the present provide to a membership vote has change into a significant impediment to decision.

The authorities stays ready to proceed the bargaining course of in good religion. After considerably enhancing the provide earlier this month, the federal government firmly believes the following acceptable step is for the present provide to be put to a vote.

Our dedication stays the identical: to help residents, respect staff, respect collective bargaining and act in the perfect pursuits of all Nova Scotians.