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…

Web banner. Text: Safe at work. Photo: N-95 respirator

Make N-95 respirators available to all education support staff in Nova Scotia: CUPE

CUPE Nova Scotia’s School Board Council of Unions (NSSBCU), representing over 4,600 members at all public schools, is calling on the provincial government to provide properly fitted N-95 masks to all workers in school settings. “If other provinces can get them for education sector workers, why can’t Nova Scotia?” asks CUPE Nova President Nan McFadgen. “It’s the same virus in all the provinces, but education workers in Nova Scotia are expected to accept more risk?” “Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) mask guidance has changed, and we need to upgrade our protection. We cannot afford to become complacent,” adds McFadgen. With increased concern about the aerosol spread of COVID-19, the new guidance recommends that properly fitting N-95s should be worn in indoor occupational settings (in a school setting that would include buses). “We’re talking about making an investment that could save lives and protect our health care system,” says McFadgen. … Read more…