Halifax long-term care workers ratify new agreement, provincewide strike could end soon

Long-term care workers in Halifax have ratified a new collective agreement, bringing a nearly two-month long provincewide strike one step closer to ending.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) – which represents 52 long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia – says workers at St. Vincent’s Nursing Home ratified the tentative agreement on Wednesday night. The union announced the possible deal late last week.

With this successful vote, other CUPE locals in Nova Scotia will hold their own ratification votes on the proposal. If they accept the deal, it will end the strike that began on April 13.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work the Lead Table bargaining team did,” said long term and community care committee chair Christa Sweeney in a news release. “It was a long, tiring process and it wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous support and solidarity shown by long term care workers province-wide.”

CUPE says they successfully fought for a minimum $5 raise for all workers over the life of the new collective agreement. They also say they gained additional wages for supervising and training students, and improved layoff protections.

Since the strike began, CUPE says they were looking for improved wages. The previous collective agreement expired in October 2023.

At the height of the strike, roughly 3,600 workers at 36 long-term care sites were on the picket line.

Prior to the tentative deal, the provincial government said it was offering wage increases between 12 and 24 per cent over four years and increased evening and weekend premiums.

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