One of nearly 40 long-term care homes in Nova Scotia that went on strike earlier this year is returning to the picket line following a breakdown in negotiations, according to their union. The Valley View Villa workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 2330, issued a notice to resume their strike on Tuesday. The union says the employer proposed concessions like changes to how employees earn vacation time and removing union members from the health plan administered by the Health Association of Nova Scotia. “It feels like they’re holding our wage increases hostage,” said CUPE 2330 president Betty Best in a news release. “We fought long and hard for those wage increases and now Valley View Villa refuses to sign the tentative agreement unless we give up on maintaining the integrity of our earned vacation time and health insurance.” Along with 35 other CUPE long-term care homes in the province, Valley View workers went on strike in April over improved wages. At its height, the provincewide strike saw roughly 3,600 workers on the picket line. In June workers at the St. Vincent’s Nursing Home in Halifax ratified a new tentative deal. Following that successful vote, other long-term care homes paused their strikes to vote on their own agreements on local issues. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
