Bargaining resumes in ongoing long term care workers strike

CITYnews halifax/ By Steve Gow

The union representing long term care workers and the province are returning to the bargaining table.

According to a release from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the two sides will meet on Wednesday with the assistance of the chief conciliation officer.

“We agreed to go back to the table in the hopes that, this time, the government will come with an offer that brings all long term care workers closer to a living wage instead of the same tired deal they’ve been presenting over and over, both at the table and in the media,” said long term and community care committee chair Christa Sweeney in the release.

Few other details were provided but long term care workers have entered the seventh week of job action.

Earlier on Wednesday, Glen Haven Manor in New Glasgow joined the strike bringing the total amount of workers off the job to about 3,600.

“For 7 weeks, these workers have been providing essential care for 8, 12 hours a day, and then marching in picket lines because they believe in what we’re fighting for,” said CUPE Long Term and Community Care Committee Chair Christa Sweeney.

The union’s collective agreement expired in October 2023.