Employees at New Dawn Guest Home, a residential care facility in Sydney, have voted 100 percent in favour of job action. The voting took place over the last two days. The 24 employees are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3067, and are the lead table for sector bargaining under the Department of Community Services. Bargaining stalled after two days of conciliation last week with many items still on the table, including wages and pensions. CUPE has been pushing for a defined benefits pension plan for all members throughout the sector. Right now only a handful of locals have defined benefit plans. “Wages are the main issue for this local,” says CUPE National Representative Kathy MacLeod. “These employees earn only 90 percent of what their counterparts make at other facilities across the province.” MacLeod says this discrepancy stems back to a 2008 government review that determined, … Read more…

Counsellors and support staff at adult residential centres and group homes are gearing up for a strike vote after two days of unproductive conciliation meetings. The employees work at residential homes and facilities across the province, from Sydney to Yarmouth, and are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. “The employer presented us with a final offer Tuesday morning and refused to look at our counterproposals,” says CUPE National Representative Kim Cail. “In fact, we have had no meaningful negotiations at all, with the employer electing to go straight to conciliation after a half day meeting in May.” The government is offering counsellors a wage adjustment equal to what was given to Continuing Care Assistants in the province, however, counsellors have more responsibilities than CCAs and have historically been paid more, says Cail. “Counsellors administer medications and treatments and are frequently exposed to extreme violence and high behaviours,” says … Read more…