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‘Here for the fight,’ CUPE long-term care workers rally as strike looms

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Provincewide rallies as long-term care workers prepare to go on strike.

CUPE workers have been without a contract since 2023, and plan to be on the picket lines Monday at 21 homes.

In Yarmouth, dozens from ‘The Meadows’ and ‘Villa St. Joseph-du-Lac’ rallied outside MLA Nick Hilton’s office on Main Street Friday.

The union is asking for a five dollar flat rate increase, on top of economic adjustments.

Greg Williams is the head of CUPE workers at ‘The Meadows’, and says the province needs to come back to the bargaining table.

“We haven’t bargained yet, it’s a take it or leave it style so far. We need to have a meaningful conversation, or else we’ll be out on the street. Residents won’t have the essential care that they need, they’ll be reduced to, in some cases, 60 percent of the staff,” said Williams.

He says we’re in an economic crisis, as the cost of living continues to climb.

Meanwhile, Nick Hilton spoke to rally members.

He’s said he’s hopeful the bargaining process will work for everyone.

“These are the community members that I’m here to represent. I want them to feel like they’re getting a good deal at the end of the day, and we also know where we stand as a government. Hopefully together, we’ll find a resolution,” said Hilton.

We’ve reached out to Seniors and Long-Term Care minister Barbara Adams’ office for comment.

Yarmouth MLA Nick Hilton speaks to CUPE long-term care workers on April 10, 2026 PHOTO/ACADIA NEWS
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Long-term care homes prepare to strike after talks fail

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Long-term care workers at more than 30 nursing homes across the province are preparing to go on strike after talks with the province failed.

In a statement, Tuesday, CUPE said no deal was reached during their final day of conciliation.

“This does not mean we are going on strike [Wednesday], it does however mean we must finalize the preparation we began the past few months,” said CUPE.

The union says it is now “more important than ever” that strike and essential services committees are in place and “fully operational”.

Key sticking points are better wages and improved recruitment and retention.

It comes one day after 20 facilities walked off the job for information pickets.

In a news release, Coordinator Tammy Martin said she is disappointed but not surprised.

“At every turn this government has forced us to sign the same deal, and this time was no different,” says Martin. “For the fifth time they presented us with essentially the same deal and expected us to take it. Like every time before, we said no. Our members deserve better.”

Meanwhile, Seniors and Long-Term Care minister Barbara Adams assured last month that plans are in place in case of a disruption.

“Those essential services are going to be maintained across every nursing home in the province. That’s a commitment that all long-term care facilities make, and we’re working closely with them,” said Adams after a February Cabinet meeting.

She adds they’ll make sure residents at the homes are getting the care they need.

-with files from Kevin Northup 

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N.S. long-term care workers rally as talks resume with province

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Workers at some Nova Scotian nursing homes could go on strike soon.

Final conciliation talks between long-term care workers represented by CUPE and the province are scheduled for Tuesday.

Workers at dozens of homes have voted in favour of job action, they’ve been without a contract since October, 2023.

Information pickets were held outside of 20 seniors homes across the province on Monday.

They included Yarmouth to Eastern Passage, to Port Hawkesbury, Inverness, St. Peters, up to Sydney and more.

Greg Williams is the head of CUPE workers at the Meadows in Yarmouth, and says they’re asking for five dollars more per hour.

“We want the government to actually come to the bargaining table. One of the sessions we were at, they were only there for 16 minutes. They didn’t want to talk about issues important to us. We haven’t had a real discussion yet, so how can we say that we’re bargaining?,” said Williams.

He says affordability is a real issue, along with staff shortages.

“Workers can’t pay their power bills, the price of diesel has doubled since the winter started. We have members living in their cars or with family, so we’re asking for that flat raise on top of the economic adjustments that the government has told us to take or leave.”

Williams, who sits at the bargaining table, adds that out of 51 CUPE nursing homes, about 40 could have members undergo strike action in the first weeks of April.

That would mean unionized workers would reduce their duties to essential work only, with the most vital care provided, but nothing more.

Standing firm

At the Villa St. Joseph-du-Lac in Dayton, Yarmouth County, about a dozen CUPE members rallied outside.

CUPE-lead Samantha Newell says they’re standing firm on five more dollars an hour.

“Long-term care facilities across Nova Scotia are ready to fight the fight, and we’re looking forward to it. The province has brought the same offers the last four times to the bargaining table,” said Newell.

She says there are worker shortages, and they want fair wages that reflect the work they put in.

“We’re out here today, it’s quite chilly. But I think you’ll get used to seeing us.”

Long-Term Care Coordinator, Tammy Martin shared the purpose of their rallies.

“We want to inform the public of what could be coming in long-term care in the next couple of weeks,” said Martin.

“So, we have handouts to let them know why we’re outside, and that if we don’t get a deal, we will be on the picket line at nursing homes all across this province.”

She shared that the current offer is the wage pattern is 3 per cent, 2 per cent, 2 per cent, and 2 per cent over 4 years, which would be around 18 cents per hour per year, and they currently make $18.77 an hour.

“I think government should be embarrassed to death to come to the table with that type of wage offer when we have folks living in poverty,” expressed Martin.

CUPE workers from the Villa St. Joseph-du-Lac in Dayton, Yarmouth County rally outside on March 23, 2026 PHOTO: ACADIA NEWS

Minister ‘confident’ deal will be reached

Meanwhile, Seniors and Long-Term Care minister Barbara Adams assured last month that plans are in place in case of a disruption.

“Those essential services are going to be maintained across every nursing home in the province. That’s a commitment that all long-term care facilities make, and we’re working closely with them,” said Adams after a February Cabinet meeting.

Adams remained confident that a deal would be reached, and says the province has settled over 400 contracts since 2021.

“I have every reason to expect that we’ll have a satisfactory settlement. In the event that doesn’t happen, there are processes in place for anyone receiving any kind of healthcare.”

She adds they’ll make sure residents at the homes are getting the care they need.

– with files from Jessica Laing

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Union calls on province to release overdue ECE back pay

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The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says many childcare centres across Nova Scotia are struggling to recruit staff because of low wages and a lack of recognition.

Now, the union is urging the province’s education minister to act, as some Early Childhood Educators (ECE) say they’ve been waiting months for back pay. This stems from Nova Scotia’s ECE wage grid under the $10-a-day childcare plan, where operators await provincial funding to distribute back pay.

In a news release, CUPE 4745 President and Early Childhood Educator Tabitha Warren says, “This delay sends a message that the province doesn’t value the people who make childcare possible. It’s unacceptable, and it needs to be fixed now.”

Union representatives say centres cannot issue the payments without authorization from the department.

CUPE Nova Scotia President Alan Linkletter says “everyone deserves to be paid on time, and our ECEs are no exception. The Minister has the ability and the responsibility to unlock this funding immediately. Delaying back pay only deepens the staffing challenges that already affect the entire childcare sector.”

The union says it is urging officials to release the outstanding funds immediately.

Meantime, Education Minister Brendan Maguire says the money is coming it is just taking time.

He tells reporters it’s not about holding the funds back.

“It really is about going through every single hour for the last few years that people have worked in this province,” says Maguire.

He says it’s very labour intensive and that crews are working around the clock to get it done.

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NSCAD strikes, union says wages have not increased since 1984

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Staff at NSCAD University are on the picket lines this week, striking for fair wages and job security. The move comes nearly two years after employees became certified with CUPE Local 3912 and began bargaining for their first contract.

CUPE and NSCAD staff strike. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting

Union representative Lachlan Sheldrick said NSCAD built its strong reputation in the Maritimes during the 1980s and 1990s, when staff were well compensated. But that reputation hasn’t kept up with time.

“And that pay has not gone up for our members, for our teaching assistants, and research assistants. That pay has not gone up since 1984. So people here today are making the same money that their parents might have been making had they been here 40 years ago,” Sheldrick explained.

CUPE and NSCAD staff strike. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting

Staff began striking outside NSCAD’s downtown Halifax campus on Duke Street on Wednesday and continued picketing today despite the cold.

Union president Lauren McKenzie smiled as she told our reporter that she’s proud to stand with the workers.

“I’m not willing to stand aside and let these folks sort of wither in these poor work conditions that NSCAD has set for them, because we see how valuable they are,” McKenzie glowed.

CUPE President Lauren McKenzie talking with passerby about the strike on Duke Street. PHOTO BY NATALIE CHIASSON /Acadia Broadcasting

This is the third time within recent months that CUPE members at post-secondary institutions took job action in Halifax.

Dalhousie, Mount Saint Vincent, and Saint Mary’s all accepted agreements with part-time staff in the fall of 2025.