Improving Vaccine Access for those without permanent residency status and migrants in Nova Scotia – An Open Letter to the Government of Nova Scotia

CUPE Nova Scotia has endorsed a letter sent to government earlier this week from the Nova Scotia Migration Research Forum – advocating & supporting vaccine access for migrant workers across the province. For more information visit – https://www.migrationandmobility.ca To: The Honourable Zach Churchill, Minister of Health and Wellness,   We applaud the Government of Nova Scotia for making the Covid-19 vaccines available to all people, regardless of residency status and holding a provincial health card. This decision is aligned with the recommendations offered by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, which affirms that:  “COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to everyone in Canada for whom it is approved and recommended for use… This applies to all persons in Canada whether or not they are citizens.” (emphasis added)  Further, it is consistent with the federal vaccination schedule released by the Government of Canada, which indicates that the vaccine will be available to … Read more…

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What you need to know about the proposed CCA Registry Act

CUPE member update Legislation making it mandatory for all continuing care assistants in Nova Scotia to register annually was introduced on Wednesday, April 7 by Minister of Health and Wellness Zach Churchill. Bill 92, entitled the Continuing Care Assistant Registry Act, was developed based on recommendations made by the Expert Advisory Panel on Long-Term care in 2019. The stated purpose of the bill is to improve workforce planning, recruitment and retention efforts. CUPE represents the majority of continuing care assistants (CCAs) in Nova Scotia and we have serious concerns about this legislation, which leaves questions about fees, fines and privacy unanswered. Too much has been left out of the bill, to be decided behind closed doors in regulations that have yet to be developed. Based on our first reading of the bill and information we’ve received from the Department of Health and Wellness, we believe the registry will ultimately be administered by the Health Association of Nova Scotia, an organization that provides human resources services to many long term care employers. If an employer-associated group is to be responsible for administering the registry, government must take measures to protect workers.  CUPE recognizes the need for workforce planning, however this bill does not provide enough transparency, and we are opposed to it as it is written. We … Read more…