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
34 minutes ago
- CTV News
Island MP supports retired CAF major in appeal to Veterans Affairs Canada
An MP on Vancouver Island is advocating for a veteran seeking federal support for a possible kidney transplant. A member of parliament is now supporting a retired Canadian Armed Forces major, who is preparing for a potential kidney transplant, in an appeal to Veterans Affairs Canada. 'I hope that they make a favourable decision for him. And we'll certainly advocate on his behalf, but it's really going to be up to [VAC] to decide if it fits the parameters of the types of services that they deliver,' says Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP, Jeff Kibble. Ret. Maj. Bruce Sand's kidney health is failing due to a disease that's been linked to his service in Haiti in 2006/07. A comrade the Shawnigan Lake man once worked with in the Rhodesian Army has volunteered to give one of his kidneys to Sand when he's expected to need the lifeline. 'Bruce is somebody that I really admire and he's been a friend for life,' says potential donor, Mike Gurney. 'He's somebody that you would aspire to be.' Play Travel costs stall veteran's donor match Time is of the essence for a retired B.C. veteran searching for a living kidney donor. The pair say early testing indicates they're a match. But Sand is frustrated Veterans Affairs Canada has turned down a request to cover the cost for Gurney to travel from his home in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – if the transplant goes ahead. 'Way back in 2013, I received full compensation. But they also have a duty to assist me with treatment. And this is a treatment. It's not somebody coming to visit me to shake my hand or say goodbye to me as I lie sick in hospital. This is somebody who's bringing a live kidney for me to have,' says Sand, while speaking with CTV News a week prior. The minister of Veterans Affairs has declined an interview due to privacy reasons. A spokesperson in the department has said VAC works with veterans on a case-by-case basis, since every situation is unique. 'There are times when people don't necessarily agree with the decision, and there's a process to appeal to request further information. And that's the process that we're in now,' says Kibble, who served with the Royal Canadian Navy for 28 years. The timeline for the next steps under an appeal are unclear. Sand says he'll be at an optimal window for transplant once his kidney function drops below 15 per cent. Currently, he says, he's at 18 per cent. 'I would like it to work. Bruce deserves better… He's given hit gut, everything and always has,' says Gurney. 'I just think it's time that the bureaucracy should find ways to make things happen.'
CBC
38 minutes ago
- CBC
Albertans told to stay on topic at raucous town hall
Not everyone who got up to the mic was allowed to pose their question to the Alberta Next panel. Here's one of those exchanges, followed by a question about equalization that was allowed.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
How CIRO's new guidance for DIY investing compares with proposals from U.K. regulator
The growth of online investing has introduced millions of new investors to markets, but they're not always using the best information when making investment decisions. Regulators in Canada and elsewhere have raised concerns about do-it-yourself (DIY) investors relying on unregulated advice from social media and so-called 'finfluencers,' sometimes resulting in high-risk investments. Part of the issue is how advice is regulated. Online investing platforms are restricted from making recommendations, as self-directed investors haven't undergone suitability assessments. The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) took a step toward changing that this week. As Kelsey Rolfe reported, CIRO's proposed guidance (which is out for consultation until Nov. 10) narrows the definition of 'recommendation' significantly to communication that 'endorses a specific investment decision for the client.' That means order-execution-only dealers will be allowed to provide 'decision-making supports' to DIY investors. These include tools to help find securities that align with an investor's strategies and goals, and sample portfolios that help with asset allocation (without mentioning specific investment products). The U.K. regulator is looking to go a step further. In June, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released its own proposals that would allow firms to offer free, 'targeted support' to groups of investors with common characteristics. For example, firms are currently allowed to suggest to a consumer that they're in a position to invest; under targeted support, the firm would be allowed to suggest a specific investment product. For those already investing, firms would be able to not only flag risky investments and offer explanatory materials, but suggest an alternative product. Similarly, when an investor holds an expensive fund, firms would be allowed to suggest a product that costs less. As with CIRO, the proposed change revolves around online investing platforms making recommendations. To adopt the proposals, the U.K.'s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 would need to be amended to create a new specified activity of 'targeted support,' different from existing forms of advice. With investing becoming easier and cheaper, it makes sense for better information to be more available, too. But what does this mean for advisors? CIRO said in its initial consultation that it doesn't want to 'diminish the value' of the full-service advice channel. The FCA makes it clear that the targeted support proposal is a compromise: not as beneficial as more personalized advice, but a worthwhile tradeoff in the absence of support. And research has shown that most DIY investors want advice from a human at some point. Still, the proposed changes raise the bar ever so slightly, putting more pressure on advisors whose practices are built on investment recommendations without offering the personalized financial, tax and estate planning that isn't available cheaply and generically. A perfect storm: The wealth management industry is experiencing an unprecedented wave of consolidation. Combined with aging advisors behind on their succession planning, the result is a perfect storm of capital, urgency and opportunity, writes Joe Millott of Fort Capital Partners. What's in a name? In June, the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC) changed its name to the Canadian Forum for Financial Markets (CFFiM). As Rudy Mezzetta reports, the move follows other rebrands from major industry organizations in the past two years, and the entrance of a new competitor. Sage advice: For money manager Paul Harris, investing is akin to meditation, especially when markets are as volatile as they've been lately. 'When you meditate, you're supposed to let things happen and not react. It's the same kind of philosophy I have with investing, which is to just absorb what's happening, because often it's only short-term,' says Mr. Harris, a partner and portfolio manager at Toronto-based Harris Douglas Asset Management Inc. Here's what he's buying and selling. Fraud risk: In early January, Megan Tong lost around $70,000 after hackers logged into one of her self-directed investment accounts, cashed in all her holdings and briefly bought and sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of two Chinese stocks. But Ms. Tong's discount brokerage, Questrade Financial Group Inc., has declined to reimburse her for most of the loss, saying it didn't result from a breach of its system, writes Erica Alini. Tax risk: Rental property owners should be aware of how the Canada Revenue Agency treats rentals to friends or relatives. As Tim Cestnick explains, a recent court decision highlights some potential red flags. Tariff risk: Canadians have been bracing for price hikes from U.S. tariffs. While some things have gotten more expensive, Mariya Postelnyak reports, not all the price spikes have been as high as anticipated, and some prices have held steady or fallen.
