Local 40, Tri-County Home Support Staff, Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), Vote to Strike

Members of NSGEU Local 40, home support staff with the Tri-County Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), have voted 92 per cent in favour of a strike to back up their bargaining demands as they head into conciliation.

Local 40 is just the first of many home support locals represented by the NSGEU conducting strike votes over the coming weeks. The key issue at stake is wage parity, as they are still paid less to do the same work that is being done in a hospital and long-term care settings.

“The members of Local 40 are standing firmly behind their bargaining committee as they enter the conciliation process with their employer,” says Joan Jessome, President of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union. “These women and men play a very important part of our healthcare system. They have the same training, they do the exact same work, but they are working under very different conditions, outside of the typical healthcare setting. They certainly deserve the same hourly rate their counterparts receive.”

Conciliation is scheduled to begin Monday, February 10th for Local 40 and three other NSGEU locals representing home support workers with the VON.

There are approximately 38 members of this local who provide home support services for clients of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in the Tri-County region.

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day. For more information or to arrange an interview with NSGEU President, Joan Jessome, please contact: Holly Fraughton, NSGEU Communications Officer 424.4063 (office) 471.1781 (cell) hfraughton@nsgeu.ca