NSH Continuing Care LPNs’ Raise and Back Pay

In mid-November, the NSGEU received an arbitration decision that would see LPNs who work as Continuing Care Referral Assistants (CCRAs) receive the same 12 per cent increase that was awarded to our LPNs in June of 2020 on a go-forward basis.

The union was preparing to move forward to fight for retro as well, when we received word last week that the employer is planning to appeal the Arbitrator’s decision to award CCRAs parity with LPNs, as they feel the arbitrator’s award is unreasonable. They still have to prove this in front of a judge, and the NSGEU is filing for participation in this process, so we can advocate that the award was, in fact, reasonable.

We are obviously very disappointed that government and employers continue to fight us on this very basic issue of fairness, but we are prepared to continue to push back on this issue, as it is a matter of principle for us and the members who are involved. It is fundamentally unfair to pay workers a lesser rate of pay when they are required by their employer to hold the same level of education and training.

We are sorry to have to share such disappointing news right before the holidays. We were truly hopeful that a new government that promises to be committed to bringing about positive changes in our health care system would choose to pick a fight with dedicated workers at such a trying time.

We remain committed to fighting for a fair resolve on this issue and will keep you updated on any new developments as they occur.