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Stop gambling with the health and safety of education support staff: CUPE to Premier Houston

The union representing school support staff at all seven Regional Centres of Education and the Conseil scolaire acadien is calling on the Nova Scotia government to give staff respirators (N-95 or higher) and to close schools until there’s a significant reduction in community spread of the Omicron variant. “What’s the plan if there are not enough staff available to drive buses, clean schools, maintain ventilation equipment, or work with students with cognitive concerns or behavioural issues?” asks Lisa de Molitor, chair of CUPE’s Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions. “Because that’s where we’re headed if the premier doesn’t close schools or provide staff with the proper PPE to keep them safe on the job.” “It’s being reported that hundreds of school staff in other provinces are absent due because they have contracted COVID or are required to isolate. We cannot be complacent. We need the premier to act now … Read more…

Photo: Child care worker and two children wearing masks. CUPE NS logo.

Child care announcement in Nova Scotia the first step in the right direction: CUPE

“This is good news and we should all take a moment to celebrate the government’s public commitment to the universal child care system that early childhood educators and child care activists have lobbied government for more than 20 years,” says CUPE Nova Scotia President Nan McFadgen. “Today, the province announced the first reduction to parent fees, additional child care spaces, and a commitment to complete a framework that will result in increased wage and benefits.” “We’re at the beginning and we look forward to working with the province, in the near future, as they develop a wage grid, so that our early childhood educators receive appropriate compensation and they don’t have to retire in poverty,” says McFadgen. “Now we want to see the government put the same amount of effort to improve working conditions and compensation for early childhood educators,” says Naomi Stewart, CUPE’s child care sector coordinator. “Early childhood … Read more…

Screen capture: Nan McFadgen speaking via video conference to the NS Standing Committee on Health.

CUPE Nova Scotia president delivers remarks on long term care to legislative committee

CUPE NS President Nan McFadgen gave the following testimony (see text below) to the Standing Committee on Health at the Nova Scotia Legislature via video conference today. Nan spoke about the impacts of staffing shortages in long term care, and answered questions from committee members. My name is Nan McFadgen and I am president of CUPE Nova Scotia. I am pleased to be here today representing over 19,000 CUPE members, 4700 who work directly in long-term care. I thank the committee for looking into the problem of staffing shortages and for inviting me to speak. I bring you a simple and clear message from CCAs (continuing care assistants), dietary aides, housekeepers… the full range of workers who work in long-term care: “We are overworked and underpaid.” You may think being overworked and underpaid are two separate problems to have. But long-term care workers want you to know that they are … Read more…