Home support workers in Baddeck, N.S., vote in favour of strike

Workers at Victoria County Home Support Service (VCHSS) in Baddeck, N.S., voted 100 per cent in favour of a strike late last week.

The local union that represents the workers cites lack of guaranteed hours, wages, and wear and tear on personal vehicles for the decision.

“After four years out of contract and seven months of bargaining, we’re tired of waiting for the Nova Scotia government and our employer to recognize our issues,” said Trish Lewis-Pierrard, president of CUPE 4354, in a Tuesday news release.

Lewis-Pierrard said the service provider only had one new hire last year.

“When I started in 2007, we had 26 CCAs on staff. Now we have 16. That isn’t sustainable. New graduates need to want to come to VCHSS for their career and stay, and that’s not going to happen with unstable hours and low wages,” she said.

CUPE home support sector coordinator Kathy MacLeod added it is difficult for workers to make long term plans due to fluctuating hours.

“Every week, their hours and pay can change based on the clients. This doesn’t happen in any other sector. No CCA in long term care or at the hospitals has their pay change depending on how many residents or patients they see in a day,” she said in the release.

The union is also asking for improved workplace safety language and better protections for CCAs working in the field.

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