The Nova Scotia government has delivered a financial mandate for long-term care bargaining following rallies and letter-writing campaigns by Unifor members.
The union says nearly 1,000 letters were submitted to Nova Scotia MLAs ahead of the mandate’s delivery. The mandate allows collective bargaining to begin across long-term care units in the province.
“We are pleased this delay has finally ended but frustrated it ever came to a point where we had to plead and shame the government into doing their job, especially when it comes to health care workers they claim to prioritize,” said Jennifer Murray, Unifor Atlantic regional director. “Nova Scotia’s long-term care workers are rightfully looking for wage increases that reflect the dramatic rise in the cost of living since their last agreement.”
Unifor and other unions held rallies outside Premier Tim Houston’s office on Oct. 22 and outside Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams’ office on Nov. 5.
Letters from long-term care workers described frustration with delays in setting the government’s first financial mandate for the sector, according to Unifor. Workers said they had been featured in Houston’s election campaigns but then faced two years of delays.
Unifor had planned a rally outside Minister Michelle Thompson’s office in Antigonish, N.S., on Nov. 19 but cancelled it after the financial mandate was confirmed.
“Premier Houston has yet to show his true intentions toward long-term care workers through collective bargaining and these workers are relying on him keeping his promise to support them and value them,” said Murray.
Unifor represents 320,000 workers in Canada.
