Halifax, NS - CUPE Home Support Workers from across Nova Scotia gathered in New Glasgow recently and say they are cautiously optimistic now that the provincial government has backed off plans to put their agency contracts out to private tender.
CUPE Home Support Co-ordinator Marianne Welsh says, “We are pleased that Health Minister Leo Glavine has backed away, at least for now, on plans to put home care contracts out to private tender. We’re also happy that there has been no further discussion about the introduction of a Home Care Aide classification.
“I am proud to say that Home Support Workers came together with other unions and community allies and fought for local jobs and local service providers in our communities,” says Welsh.
Welsh says recent remarks from Glavine that the new deals signed with home care providers in the coming months will include what he called ‘performance expectations’ is something the union is watching closely.
Says Welsh, “With the onus now being placed on service providers to improve management at the local level to try to reduce costs, CUPE and other unions are concerned that what the minister was looking for in the RFP process, he may be out to get through the back door, so to speak.”
CUPE represents Home Support Workers at Region of Queens Home Support, Lunenburg County Home Support Services Society, Victorian Order of Nurses – Cumberland County, New Waterford Homemaker Service Society, and Victoria County Home Support Workers.