Message from President MacLean: Home Care Bargaining Stalled

Good afternoon,

As an NSGEU member working in home care, you provide a crucial service not only to your clients and their loved ones, but to all Nova Scotians, as you help alleviate the strain on our long-term and acute health care services. We appreciate the work that you do on all of our behalf, day in and day out.

However, it is becoming clear that this government has not developed such an appreciation for your work.

The NSGEU represents workers from a variety of home care agencies throughout this province. We have managed to bargain new collective agreements for a handful of locals. However, we are still struggling to get employer representatives from many of our agencies to come to the bargaining table to negotiate in earnest. In some cases, bargaining dates have been set and then cancelled on short notice. In other cases, we have begun bargaining with the employer only to be informed that the employer is “awaiting direction” from their funder, the Department of Health and Wellness.

It is with these frustrations in mind, and the goal of achieving new, stronger collective agreements for all of our home care locals, that I sent the following letter on Friday, October 11^th to representatives with the Department of Health & Wellness. My hope is that we can finally get these locals to the bargaining table to negotiate in a meaningful way.

It is very disappointing that we had to take this action during Continuing Care Assistants Week, when we are supposed to be able to focus on highlighting CCAs dedication and commitment to care, and showcasing continuing care as a specialty field of work. But government and these employers have left us little choice.

We will keep you updated once we have received a response, and will advise you of next steps and actions you can take to support your fellow union members.

In solidarity,

Jason MacLean

President, NSGEU