The CSFSNB represents 4,600 provincial nursing home workers. These include, among others, nursing assistants, care workers, maintenance, housekeeping, food services.
The vice-president of CSFSNB, Jason St-Onge, says negotiations between his union and the Association of Nursing Homes were going fairly well, at least until May 30. Since that date, trade would be slowed down due to of the monetary package
he believes.
« We are asking for 7% to 10% per year, over three or four years. »
The union negotiates directly with the Association of Nursing Homes, which forwards the demands to the government. According to Jason St-Onge, the government does not seem to want to give in on the issue of salaries.
This time, we’re asking for a good salary increase, and then we’re going to hold our own until the end, because in the last three, four years, with COVID, these things, the government has offered bonuses, offered raises, salary adjustments in certain places at the care level, then, yes, they too are entitled to their share of the pie, and we are happy for them, but the rest of us, at the level of the provincial nursing homes, we are still neglected, still forgotten.
Negotiations between nursing homes and the province
Salary discussions are currently taking place between the Association of Nursing Homes and the Government of New Brunswick. There CEO of the Association of Nursing Homes, Julie Weirhowever, would not reveal whether she supported the union demands.
SCFP I can be proud of”,”text”:”We’re in talks right now and I’m working to get a raise at CUPE that I can be proud of””>We’re in discussions right now, and I’m working to get a raise at the SCFP of which I can be proud
she says.
« We have to be competitive when we recruit. »
Julie Weir, CEO of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, says discussions are taking place with the province on the issue of employee wages.
Photo: Courtesy of Julie Weir
She points out that a salary increase is important so that establishments can keep their employees and recruit new ones.
Means of pressure envisaged
The members of CSFSNB have not gone on strike since 2000. But this time, everything is planned to win their case.
Our pressure tactics will start at the bottom of the ladder […] but the more it will go, if the government resists once again, the means of pressure will escalate, will be bigger and bigger
explains Jason St-Onge.
In 2021, during negotiations with more than 20,000 public service employees, Prime Minister Blaine Higgs ended up backing down in the face of the strike called in the fall.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Michel Corriveau
These pressure tactics should begin in the coming weeks or months, says the union.
« We will fight until the end. »
With respect to a potential strike, the union recognizes that the passage of Bill 17 last fall imposes new restrictions.
The government has restricted our right to strike a bit by designating a certain percentage of employees who must work, and a certain percentage who can go on strike
underlines Jason St-Onge, who however believes that this will not prevent union members from asserting their demands.
Resident Retention and Care
The Minister of Social Development, Dorothy Shephard, recently acknowledged that there are nearly 300 vacant beds in the establishments, due to lack of staff. According to the union, this is directly linked to wages and working conditions.
We see a lot of departures, because the work overloads are terribly high […] better salaries, better benefits, better working conditions, a lot more people are going to be interested in coming to work, so more people in nursing homes, which is going to reduce shortages of staff, so the resident, at the end of the day account, will benefit from this too
believes Jason St-Onge.
Jules Chiasson, outgoing executive director of the Association francophone des aindes du Nouveau-Brunswick
Photo : Radio-Canada
The Association francophone des ains du Nouveau-Brunswick (AFANB) also believes that nursing home employees should be better paid.
For some time now, the Association francophone des ains du Nouveau-Brunswick has been calling for the attendants and employees of nursing homes to be better paid.
says Jules Chiasson, outgoing general manager of the AFANB.
« What is demanded by the union, it is not exaggerated. »
According to the union, wage increases will allow more employees to be recruited, which will provide better services to residents.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Michel Nogue
The lack of beds in institutions, due to lack of staff, forces the province to keep seniors in hospital beds, which causes other problems for the entire health system.
I think it’s time for the government to open its eyes, to stop burying its head in the sand with care home workers, want to not want, we take care of the people who built the province of New Brunswick , so I think they deserve care with dignity and respect
he adds.
No one from the government side was available to give us an interview on this issue.
With information from Alix Villeneuve
2023-06-05 23:14:16
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