Baddeck Home Support Workers vote 100% in favour of a strike
VICTORIA COUNTY, Nova Scotia — Late last week, home support workers at Victoria County Home Support (VCHSS) voted 100% in favour of a strike mandate, citing no guaranteed hours, unfair wages, workplace safety, and wear and tear on personal vehicles as their main issues.
Article content
Article content
'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, the local union that represents the workers of VCHSS.
Article content
Like many other home support Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs), home support workers at VCHSS do not have guaranteed hours of work. This means that their hours fluctuate week to week and are subject to change based on the client's needs. Yet, despite this instability, all home support workers are expected to own their own reliable vehicle with insurance and a Nova Scotian registration.
Article content
'We had one new hire in 2024. The only new hire that stayed before that was in 2018,' said Lewis-Pierrard. '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.'
Article content
'It's impossible for CCAs in this sector to make any long term plans,' said CUPE Home Support Sector Coordinator Kathy MacLeod. '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.'
Article content
Another issue remaining on the table is improved workplace safety language. Home support workers are expected to enter client homes unaccompanied to provide care, often in remote areas without cell service or reception. The local is fighting for a more clear and effective process for when incidents arise and better protections for the CCAs working in the field.
Article content
'None of us want to strike, but we are all prepared to if that's what it takes for our issues to be addressed. We believe in the value of home support to the health care system; we know how important it is to help people stay in their homes longer. We deserve fair pay; we deserve a safe working environment; and we deserve stable working hours,' finished Lewis-Pierrard.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Contacts
Article content
For more information, please contact:
Kathy MacLeod
CUPE Home Support
Sector Coordinator
(902) 578-3304
Article content
Trish Lewis-Pierrard
CUPE 4354 President
(902) 317-0136
Article content
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Forest fire smoke prompts air quality warning for Toronto
People take in a city view of Toronto on Monday July 14, 2025. The Air Quality Health Index rating for Toronto was over 10, or "very high risk,"from wildfire smoke on Monday morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement for Toronto, warning that drifting wildfire smoke is expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility throughout the day. The agency says the forest-fire smoke affecting much of southern Ontario may persist into Monday, in some areas. 'Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,' the agency said. Officials are urging residents to limit outdoor activities and stay indoors as much as possible, especially vulnerable people such as seniors, young children, people with health conditions, and those who work outdoors. It's advised that common symptoms of smoke exposure can include throat irritation, coughing, and headaches, while more severe reactions can include wheezing and chest pain. Anyone experiencing a medical emergency is asked to seek help immediately. Environment Canada recommends keeping windows and doors closed and using clean air filters or certified air purifiers indoors. 'If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke,' the statement read.
Globe and Mail
26 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Oakville dad, 34, came from humble beginnings, now makes $250,000 in tech marketing
Name, age: Clay, 34 Annual income: $250,000 from job, $15,000 from side hustle teaching online business courses Debt: $700,000 on mortgage Savings: $20,000 in savings account, $125,000 in tax-free savings account (TFSA), $350,000 between him and his wife in registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), $16,500 in registered education savings plan (RESP), $170,000 between the two of them in non-registered accounts and individual stocks What he does: Marketing in technology Where he lives: Oakville, Ont. Top financial concern: 'Layoffs. I am in an industry where I work on [artificial intelligence] and I know where this is headed. I think it's inevitable I will be laid off.' Clay came to Canada with his parents when he was around 10 and had a humble start here, living in a rental unit in Regent Park in Toronto. 'My parents struggled in the beginning,' he says. 'I remember going to Goodwill, and picking up mattresses from the sidewalk to sleep on.' Clay added he doesn't want his own child to face the same obstacles. He and his family have done well since then. Clay's dad was a computer engineer in their former country, and was able to resume that career once he was proficient in English. Clay went to business school and now makes $250,000 in total compensation from his marketing job in the technology sector. He, his wife and their new baby live in a 2,000-square-foot detached home in Oakville, an upscale part of the Greater Toronto Area. What does it cost to raise a kid? That depends on how much parents earn Clay acknowledges that many CEOs tend to live in Oakville but says that isn't the case where he lives with his family. 'It's a pretty modest home,' he says. Even still, the couple bought their house early in the pandemic when the market was booming, at a price of $1.3-million. Clay considers their $700,000 mortgage to be 'large,' but says they have focused on investing rather than aggressively paying down their mortgage. 'The math tells us we are better off investing the extra cash,' he says. Clay is also looking into leveraging a home equity line of credit to invest and save on taxes. The couple hasn't done any major renovations to their home yet and are holding off because they are considering upgrading to a newer house in the future. A lot of their expenses are in a holding pattern, Clay explains, thanks to the new baby and the resulting adjustment to their lifestyle. He and his wife were already homebodies, but the baby has amplified that tendency and reduced or eliminated major parts of their budget, such as travel, he says. 'This used to be a top annual expense when we traveled abroad between two and four times a year,' Clay says. 'We use credit card points to pay for our travels and have saved almost $100,000 in flights and hotels. We don't plan to travel with the new baby so will continue to accumulate points.' Clay's wife makes about $130,000 annually when working but is taking an extended maternity leave right now to care for their child. When she returns to work, the couple plans to send their child to a Montessori daycare that costs $2,000 a month. Clay is thankful for their lifestyle, acknowledging that his good fortune is a mixture of timing, luck, and thorough preparation and savings. He feels the current cost of living would make it much harder for a new immigrant family to thrive in the way his did. 'Our story would be very different, and part of me just feels sad,' he says. Investment and savings: $5,191 $1,100 to pension. 'Defined contribution pension, company matches up to $7,000 per year.' $2,200 to company stock and savings $583 to TFSA. 'We contribute to the max in January.' $1,100 to RRSP. 'I do a lump sum of about $10,000 to $15,000 to max my annual contribution.' $208 to RESP. 'Will contribute the $2,500 per year for the next 14 years to get the annual government grant.' Servicing debt: $3,500 $3,500 to mortgage. 'Will jump to about $4,200 a month when we renew.' Household and transportation: $1,595 $550 on property tax $300 on utilities $80 on gasoline. 'Since my wife started her mat leave and I work from home, this has gone down.' $242 on car insurance $38 on car maintenance. 'Two vehicles: oil change, tire swaps.' $125 on road tolls. 'Highway 407 fees for when we visit the grandparents.' $170 on cell phones. 'Both of us, with phone leases.' $90 on internet Food and drink: $1,600 $1,000 on groceries. 'We definitely spend a lot on organic meats and vegetables at places like Whole Foods. We do stock up when things are on sale.' $600 on restaurants. 'We do takeout on Friday and Saturday. With the baby, we stopped going to a sit-down restaurant.' Miscellaneous: $5,570 $5,000 on income tax, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan $40 on streaming services. 'Netflix Standard with ads, YouTube Premium.' $100 on clothing $40 on gym membership $200 on baby stuff. 'Diapers, books, toys and clothing.' $40 on haircuts $50 on cosmetics $100 on gifts. 'The extended family is growing, so more gifts for birthdays and celebrations.' Some details may be changed to protect the privacy of the person profiled. We want to thank them for sharing their story. Are you a millennial who would like to participate in a paycheque profile? Send us an e-mail.
CBC
27 minutes ago
- CBC
LeBlanc says he expects Carney, Trump to talk 'over the next couple of days'
Social Sharing Dominic LeBlanc says he expects Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump will have a conversation with each other "over the next couple of days" as Canada tries to find a way out of a 35 per cent blanket tariff on exports to the U.S. "We believe there's a great deal of common ground between the United States and Canada in terms of building two strong economies that work well together," said LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, on CBS's Face The Nation. LeBlanc left Washington earlier this week without a deal, but he told host Margaret Brennan he came out of discussions "with a better understanding of the American concerns in the trading relationship…. So we're prepared to stick around and do the work needed." Few Canadian goods subject to new rate On Friday just after midnight, Canada's tariff rate rose to 35 per cent following a Trump executive order that criticized Canada's "lack of co-operation" in curbing the flow of fentanyl southward and for retaliating against Trump's existing tariffs. But only a very small number of Canadian products will actually be subjected to that rate — specifically goods not covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which governs trade between the three countries. WATCH | LeBlanc insists there wasn't a good deal before Trump's Aug. 1 deadline: No trade deal with U.S. better than a bad one, LeBlanc says 2 days ago LeBlanc told Brennan that Canada was "obviously disappointed" by Trump's decision to raise the tariff rate. In a separate interview on Face The Nation, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada was the only country aside from China to retaliate against Trump's tariffs. "If the president is going to take an action and the Canadians retaliate, the United States needs to maintain the integrity of our action — the effectiveness — so we have to go up," Greer told Evans. Trump tariffs face legal challenge When asked whether Canada should drop its countertariffs, LeBlanc cited Ottawa's 25 per cent countertariff on U.S. steel and aluminum imports. "There's a 50 per cent tariff when we want to sell [steel] into the United States, so effectively we're blocked from doing that. But the national security interest of Canada requires we have a viable steel and aluminum sector." Trump invoked his 35 per cent levy using a law that allows the U.S. president to take emergency economic measures to "deal with any unusual and extraordinary threat" to national security. That tariff is facing a legal challenge that has now reached a federal appeals court, putting it further along in the U.S. court system than any other tariff lawsuit.
