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“Home support workers provide an invaluable service to our community. We hope the government recognizes the value of their work, and await their reply. These workers deserve the same hourly wage as someone doing the same job in hospitals.” - Joan Jessome, NSGEU President.
Halifax (28 Feb. 2014) — In a last ditch effort to avoid work stoppage for home support workers, Joan Jessome, President of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE) wrote to Premier Stephen McNeil on February 27 offering binding arbitration for this round of bargaining only for home support workers. The offer is also subject to ratification by NSGEU/NUPGE home support members.
NSGEU/NUPGE tries to avert strike action by home support workers by offering to go to arbitration
The arbitration would deal only with the term of a renewed agreement and any wage increases after April 1, 2013. Employees who have waited two years for a settlement would accept the government’s offer of 2 per cent and 2.5 per cent in the first two years of the deal, provided the settlement is ratified. The Union has been demanding wage parity with employees who do the same work in hospitals.
“The Premier has said he is concerned about the impact of a strike,” said Jessome. “Here is his opportunity to prove that. If the Premier accepts this offer, the union will take it immediately to members to ratify and this would avert a strike before the Friday deadline.
“If the Premier refuses this offer it will be clear for everyone in the province his real focus is money and his intention is to undermine the bargaining rights of home support workers,” Jessome said.
“Home support workers provide an invaluable service to our community. We hope the government recognizes the value of their work, and await their reply. These workers deserve the same hourly wage as someone doing the same job in hospitals.”
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE