Wage Increase for LPNs

Good afternoon,

Today, government announced they will be extending the same wage increase we achieved back in June for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) at the former Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) to all LPNs in the province.

The original NSGEU grievance began in 2014 and involved approximately 400 LPNs in the former CDHA. After an almost six-year fight, an arbitrator determined the scope of practice of those LPNs had widened and compensation should increase to reflect that. In June 2020, a second arbitrator finally provided those LPNs with a 12-per-cent increase retroactive to March 2014, the date of our original grievance. However, government announced today that “Only those LPNs included in the original grievance process will receive the increase on a retroactive basis.”

Government did not immediately act to extend that same wage increase to all LPNs, however, and employer representatives had told the unions that the issue would be addressed at the bargaining table, which was an unacceptable response.

The NSGEU immediately filed grievances with the employers (NSHA & IWK) to ensure all LPNs received the same compensation – including retro pay. Along with the other unions, we launched the “Same Care, Same Pay” campaign, with thousands of members sending politicians letters calling for wage parity immediately. It appears that your message was received loud and clear.

Thank you for the support, advocacy and pressure you helped exert on politicians to ensure wage parity is maintained for all LPNs in Nova Scotia.

The NSGEU plans to continue with the grievances to achieve retro pay for all NSGEU LPNs.

In solidarity,

Jason MacLean

President, NSGEU