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Strike votes to begin for VON members ahead of conciliation meetings.
Halifax (07 Jan. 2014) – Members of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE) who work as home support staff with the Tri-County Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) have voted 92 per cent in favour of a strike to back up their bargaining demands as they head into conciliation.
Home support bargaining reinforced by strike votes
These members are just the first of many home support workers represented by the NSGEU/NUPGE conducting strike votes over the coming weeks. The key issue at stake is wage parity, as they are still paid less to do the same work that is being done in a hospital and long-term care settings.
“The members are standing firmly behind their bargaining committee as they enter the conciliation process with their employer,” says Joan Jessome, NSGEU President. “These women and men play a very important part of our healthcare system. They have the same training, they do the exact same work, but they are working under very different conditions, outside of the typical healthcare setting. They certainly deserve the same hourly rate their counterparts receive.”
Conciliation is scheduled to begin Monday, February 10 for the Tri-County VON workers and three other NSGEU/NUPGE locals representing home support workers with the VON.
There are approximately 38 members who provide home support services for clients of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in the Tri-County region.
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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