The home support workers of Lunenburg County Home Support Services Society voted overwhelmingly in support of a strike mandate on Friday, with 97% voting in favour. These workers have been out of contract for nearly four years.
“This process has been exhausting,” said Sherry Whynacht, president of CUPE 3936, the union local that represents these workers. “We’ve been bargaining for two years and still even the most basic job stability such as guaranteed hours is denied to us.”
Unlike Continuing Care Assistants, CCAs, working in other sectors such as long term or acute care, many working in home care do not receive guaranteed hours of work since they are based on appointments scheduled throughout the day. If an appointment is cancelled, home care workers don’t get paid and are largely unable to schedule additional appointments to fill the gap.
In addition to guaranteed hours, which would require the employer to schedule eight hours of appointments in a ten-hour block, CUPE 3936 is also fighting for improved wages.
“Right now, the wages are low and don’t cover the additional cost of working in home care,” explained Whynacht. “We’re required to have our own transportation to travel between client appointments and the costs of vehicle maintenance, gas, additional insurance, and wear and tear on our vehicles isn’t covered by the wage. Our low recruitment proves it.”
“If the option was working in home care, which requires you to have your own vehicle and visit client homes alone or working in long term or acute care for the same wage with guaranteed hours and a team to support you, which would you pick?” asked Whynacht. “My fellow home care workers and I are here because we care, because we see the necessity of what we do, but I can’t help but wonder why our employer, and our government, doesn’t seem to agree.”
Despite campaigning twice on the promise to fix health care, CUPE 3936, along with two other home care locals, have been out of contract the entire time Premier Houston has been in office.
“Home care is the backbone of our health care system,” said CUPE National Representative Denise Hubbard. “They’re who allows patients to leave the hospital after an injury, who makes it possible for seniors to stay in their home longer, who supports families struggling with increased care needs. So why aren’t they getting the same respect as other health care workers?”
High priority items such as improved long term disability coverage, snow day hours, and part-time hours remain on the table, with conciliation dates scheduled in June.