This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
Newfoundland and Labrador is not living up to commitments made, says NAPE president Carol Furlong
St. John's (3 Feb. 2009) - The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) is calling on the provincial health minister to honour a commitment to raise salaries for home care workers.
"The minister announced last year that a government report on home care would be released in the fall, and months later it still isn’t ready. This is unacceptable,” says NAPE president Carol Furlong.
"That report was to have dealt with, among other issues, salaries and benefits for home care workers. In the absence of the report, at the very least, government has to maintain the differential in the minimum wage back to Jan. 1, when the minimum wage increased. That increase was promised but has yet to be paid out to home care workers."
Furlong says the government must respect home care workers by addressing the issue.
"If not, the home care industry will likely collapse due to an inability to recruit or retain workers. The wage differential shouldn’t depend on a report and has to be paid out now," she says.