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last mo.

Talks Collapse in Nova Scotia Long-Term Care Strike

CUPE has called for an outside mediator to break a stalled negotiation that leaves thousands of care workers on strike.

Long-term care workers and supporters hold a demonstration outside the Halifax Convention Centre on Monday. They were holding the event outside, while Premier Tim Houston spoke to a luncheon crowd from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Long-term care workers and supporters hold a demonstration outside of the Halifax Convention Centre on Monday. They were holding the event outside, while Premier Tim Houston spoke to a luncheon crowd from the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.

Overview

  • The strike began on April 13 and now covers about 36–37 long-term care homes with roughly 3,600 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees off the job.
  • Bargaining sessions resumed this week but broke down with no new dates scheduled after the province restated the same multi-year offer the union says it has repeatedly rejected.
  • The government’s public package includes 12–24% wage increases over four years, retroactive pay to 2023, higher evening and weekend premiums, defined-benefit pension access, an extra $2 per hour for the lowest earners starting in 2027, and a 1.5% increase next year; CUPE says the proposal still falls short of a living wage for many support staff.
  • Residents and families report cutbacks in services such as less-frequent bathing, fewer activities and meals served on paper plates while the province and union say legally required essential services remain in place and some therapy and support roles are working reduced hours.
  • The sector is complex because homes are provincially funded but often privately run, binding arbitration is not automatic in Nova Scotia, and the union’s demand for an independent mediator is the most likely next step to force progress in talks.