N.S. senior’s minister still says long-term care deal fair 4 weeks into strike

The province’s senior’s minister has no plans to go back to the table with the union that represents long term care workers who are in week four of strike action.

Three thousand union members remain on the picket lines from 30 nursing homes, with two more set to join this week, and possibly another next week.

In statement to our newsroom, Barb Adams says they are in daily contact with facilities to ensure needs are met and to discuss what will end job action.

“We fully support the facilities and CUPE members coming together for these important ongoing discussions,” says Adams.

However, Adams maintains that the deal presented to CUPE is fair with a 12 to 24 per cent increase in wages.

“CUPE is asking for roughly double those increases, proposing a wage pattern of 22 to 38 per cent for 2023-27,” says Adams. “We are encouraging CUPE to take their offer to their members for a vote.”

Meanwhile CUPE says the deal isn’t good enough.

National CUPE President Mark Hancock visited a handful of homes, Thursday.

“Across Nova Scotia, the folks who look after our most vulnerable seniors are saying enough,” says Hancock. “Enough with low wages, enough with understaffing, enough with being told to carry a broken system on their backs.”

The strike began, April 13.