Workers at Roseway Manor in Shelburne have voted unanimously to strike, citing wages so low they say they’re driving the staffing crisis that’s stretched long-term care facilities across Nova Scotia.
The workers, represented by CUPE Local 3099, are the first group in the province’s long-term care sector to vote on strike action under what’s known as lead-table bargaining. That process sets wage and benefit terms for more than 5,000 unionized long-term care workers across 52 facilities in Nova Scotia.
CUPE’s provincial long-term care coordinator Tammy Martin said the situation has reached a breaking point, and that wages are at the centre of nearly every challenge workers face. “The members we have now are working short-staffed, understaffed,” Martin said, noting that low pay makes it nearly impossible to attract and retain workers.
Martin said Nova Scotia’s long-term care workers are the lowest-paid in Atlantic Canada, with some classifications earning close to $10 an hour less than workers in similar roles in neighbouring provinces. She said that gap makes it difficult to compete for staff, leading to burnout and chronic understaffing.
Bargaining between CUPE and the employer group is ongoing, though Martin said progress has been slow. “We had six dates booked across the province,” she said. “Four of them were cancelled because they didn’t have a financial package ready.” The next bargaining sessions are set for November 7, 17, and 18.
While Roseway Manor’s 100 percent strike vote doesn’t automatically trigger a walkout, it gives the union the option to take job action if talks don’t result in an acceptable offer. Any deal reached through the current negotiations would apply to all CUPE-represented long-term care homes in the province.
Martin said the union has repeatedly asked for meetings with government representatives, but those requests have been declined. “The communication is not going well,” she said. “We’ve made it clear that wages are the number one issue — everything else flows from that.”
Roseway Manor’s staff include continuing care assistants, housekeeping, dietary, and maintenance workers — all of whom Martin said play a vital role in keeping residents safe and comfortable.
