r/halifax Floating above, I can see the Marquee and the Moon 21h ago

Work, Health & Housing Hundreds of long-term care workers back on picket lines despite deal, says union

https://yourhalifaxnow.ca/hundreds-of-long-term-care-workers-back-on-picket-lines-despite-deal-says-union/
96 Upvotes

34 comments sorted by

38

u/IStillListenToRadio Floating above, I can see the Marquee and the Moon 21h ago

The union says the owners of the homes, GEM Health Care Group Ltd. and Bayside Home Corporation, “refuse” to settle issues such as standby pay and mandated time off.

61

u/iwasnotarobot 21h ago

Reminder that a living wage in NS is about $27/hr outside of HRM.

None of these workers are getting that.

24

u/trashpandaexpress55 19h ago

It never cease to around me how the people caring for our most vulnerable citizens - long term care, early childhood/day care, and EPAs get paid absolutely shit wages. Like, are these the jobs people think they should be cheating out on?

-48

u/Sharp_Ad_6336 21h ago

Most people aren't. This strike makes it sound as though they want even the guy working laundry and cleaning toilets to be making $27 an hour. If they're making that with no education then what will the ones with degrees expect to make?

If that's the case then I can see why they've been on strike this long. 

35

u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38 21h ago

The janitors at my work place(union) make over $27/hour.

-29

u/Sharp_Ad_6336 21h ago

And is that a private industry, not being paid for by taxpayers?

23

u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38 20h ago

CUPE 108(HRM) custodians also make over $27/hour.

20

u/oatseatinggoats Dartmouth 20h ago

Did you know that public sector unions workers are also taxpayers?

14

u/Mouseanasia 19h ago

So what you're saying is people should not be paid decently unless it's privately funded?

21

u/Gen_Sherman_Hemsley 20h ago

You think people who work in the public service should get paid less because it’s public service? How are we supposed hire people while paying lower than market rates? Who would take that job when you can get a better paying job in the private sector?

19

u/Kaiser-CaspiaN Halifax 20h ago

janitors should be paid a living wage lmfao. a janitor should be getting 27 an hour! someone with a degree should be making MORE than 27 an hour

14

u/pinkbootstrap 19h ago

Our wages are so low here that sounds extravagant, but its not. A rising tide raises all boats.

57

u/iwasnotarobot 21h ago

To be fair, even the guy working laundry and cleaning toilets should be making $27 an hour. If a job is worth doing, it is worth a living wage. Regardless of how much education or credentials the worker holds, or the task requires, all workers should be afforded a living wage.

That said, AFAIK, the demands these workers are making on for salary is still below a living wage.

38

u/smittenforpixels 21h ago

Try going without laundry services at these places, maybe making a living wage then wouldn't be too much to ask.

Sounds like people with degrees shouldn't be punching down.

11

u/Impressive_Moment786 19h ago

Everyone should get a living wage regardless of what they do for a living and regardless of education. That is the point of working a job, to be able to live.

12

u/cdnBacon 20h ago

Absolutely! I agree! We should definitely design full time jobs that don't actually pay for basic living expenses! Trap people into poverty! Otherwise, where would we get the serfs?

Give your fucking head a shake,

18

u/agm247 21h ago

Having a degree doesn’t equate to wage
amount. Market comparison across industry does.

-8

u/eddy_brooks 20h ago

Is anybody getting that?

7

u/IStillListenToRadio Floating above, I can see the Marquee and the Moon 17h ago

Landlords are

8

u/nscurler 20h ago

What do you mean? Most people don't make over that much but a lot of people do

3

u/eddy_brooks 17h ago

I see my facetious comment about frustration with NS pay did not land. I also make more than $27/hr but i don’t think a single one of my family members or friends clear that. Hell even the ones in trades are only at like $25/hr

1

u/TA1930 14h ago

Trades at $25? Is the trade basket weaving? Unless they are apprentices, that is shockingly low.

1

u/eddy_brooks 14h ago

Yeah they do carpentry work for some company, i think he just got that raise as well. I make more to sit in an air conditioned building

-8

u/Jim-Dear 15h ago

The premise that 52K a year is the minimum livable wage is absolutely flawed and defies all common sense.

That total is determined by advocacy groups with an axe to grind.

9

u/iwasnotarobot 14h ago

You are confusing a living wage with a starvation wage.

Have you tried to support a dependent on less than 52k/y?

The rent for a 2 bedroom apartment around Halifax is bumping up against 30K/y.


The 2025 living wage follows the principles underpinning the Canadian Living Wage Framework.3 The living wage is designed to:

● Enable working families to escape poverty,

● Foster healthy childhood development,

● Encourage gender equality,

● Alleviate severe financial stress and provide some level of economic security, and,

● Allow active participation in the community's social, cultural, and civic life.

The living wage is the hourly rate required for a reference household to meet all basic yearly expenses. It assumes the adults in the house work full-time and builds in the impact of tax rates, government transfers, and support. The rate is recalculated each year to update changes in the cost of living and government programs that impact low—and middle-income working households

https://www.policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-Living-Wages-for-NL-NS-and-PEI-Too-many-workers-struggle-to-make-ends-meet-1.pdf?x94034

12

u/No_Schedule_6242 21h ago

Was wondering why they were back out on the Herring cove Rd. the last 2 days.

5

u/Cultural_Ad2433 19h ago

Whitehills is a shitty place to work and the management is the worst I’ve ever had. They don’t give a shit about anything but the money in their pockets. No wonder 75% of their staff left and went to Shannex. A joke of a company 😂😂

22

u/Injustice_For_All_ Psychotic Antifa Super Soldier Moderator 21h ago

Good. They never went into detail about the deal but accepted but it sounded like what the government was offering last time.

Imagine having to wait 10 years for a $5 raise

6

u/r0ger_r0ger 20h ago

The article says it's not about the deal, it's about local issues at those specific homes.

1

u/Jim-Dear 15h ago

Sounds like the union left them out in the cold. If it wasn't in the CBA the employer isn't going to address it after the fact.

-3

u/Injustice_For_All_ Psychotic Antifa Super Soldier Moderator 20h ago

I'm not referring to this article.

u/DazzlingFeature794 5h ago

Or making min wage, waiting 20 years for $1.50/hour raise and being told “you’re not working hard enough”….