Long term care workers at Bisset Court, represented by CUPE 4970, have voted in favour of a strike mandate this week, with 100% of votes in favour of job action. This echoes calls from other workers in the sector for fair wages and improved recruitment and retention to reduce understaffing issues.
“We work short so often that it’s more of a surprise to come in and find a full roster,” commented CUPE 4970 President Trina Walker. “Every day, we’re forced to make calls that prioritize only the bare necessities rather than providing the attention and care we want to offer our residents. We need that to change.”
Understaffing and working short is a prevalent issue in the long-term care sector, with just over 50% of Nova Scotian long term care homes meeting the bare minimum recommended 4.1 hours of care per day per resident. This recommendation is not mandatory, so long term care homes can, and do, fall below this number when staff are short due to lack of retention or illness.
“People keep saying that no one wants to work anymore. That’s not true. No one wants to work full time with mandatory over time, and still not be able to afford their basic necessities like rent, food, or a vehicle,” continued Walker. “I love my job; I think I genuinely help people each and every day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to be paid fairly for my work.”
“Workers across the province, across the country, are reaching their breaking points. The cost of everything has gone up dramatically in recent years, making the cost-of-living skyrocket, and wages just haven’t kept up. This isn’t a long-term care specific issue. This government needs to recognize that a healthy province is created by people being able to afford to live there,” said Tammy Martin, CUPE Long Term Care Coordinator, “and we hope our fellow workers, regardless of sector, will support our fight for just that.”