LPN Update: CUPE NL signs agreement with NL Government

CUPE NL logo

September 19, 2023

Attn: LPNs of CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador

Re: LPN Information Update

I would like to begin by thanking all the LPNs who took time out of their busy schedules to attend our information sessions last week. It was fantastic to see so many participants, and I hope we can continue this momentum going forward.

Last week, we promised to circulate an update as soon as we had confirmed numbers to share with you all. As of this morning, CUPE has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Newfoundland and Labrador government that will address some of the wage concerns of LPNs and their impact on recruitment and retention in the process.

The agreement includes:

  • $2.48-$3.11/hour fixed adjustment (depending on classification) in addition to current Collective Agreement wage increases.
  • Up to a 5% increase for LPNs with 15-25 years of service in Newfoundland and Labrador as an LPN.

Further information about how this will break down between classifications will be provided during information sessions this week. If you have time, please consider attending on September 20th at 3:00 p.m. or September 21st at 7:30 p.m for more information. Registration is required.

Thank you for all your patience and support during this process. I hope to see you at the sessions this week!

In solidarity,

Sherry Hillier

 

:sm/cope 491

Radio Message: Thank you LPNs for all that you do!

The work of LPNs is invaluable, and we wanted to share a small message in thanks. Listen below!

Transcript:

When the worst happens, and you go to the hospital…

When you need care in a long-term care home…

When your family needs an update or a shoulder to cry on…

Licenced Practical Nurses are there.

And as the strain on the health care system continues, Licenced Practical Nurses will continue to be there.

Help us say thank you to Licenced Practical Nurses. Visit nl.cupe.ca/thankyoulpns

A message by CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Coordinated Bargaining Update

Following the successful ratification of the tentative agreement by health care, libraries, transition houses and group homes, government house, school boards, and housing, CUPE is working with government to finalize the wording of the collective agreement to ensure the final version of the new collective agreement accurately represents what was agreed upon.

All retro pay and recognition bonuses will be processed and paid once the new collective agreement is signed.

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day Greetings

Did you know…

CUPE Atlantic/Maritime Indigenous Council (CAMIC) was formed in 2019. CAMIC is comprised of 8 self- identifying Indigenous CUPE members, 2 from each province.

CAMIC works across territorial lines to strengthen solidarity, build unity, educate, and bring awareness to CUPE members. We work with CUPE leaders, locals, and members to increase awareness about inclusion of territorial acknowledgements, important social justice campaigns, events, and dates such as Truth and Reconciliation Day. We are also working in collaboration with a local artist and CUPE member to create a CAMIC logo that will represent Indigenous culture in our region.

CAMIC is committed to reconciliation and creating cultural safety for future generations!

We encourage all locals to join us in celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day!

If you have any questions on how we can work with you, your local or your leaders, please send us an email at: cupe.atl.mar.indigenous.council@gmail.com.

Members:

NL: Brandice Blanchard
NL: Todd Curtis
NS: Kim Loppie
NS: Denise Hubbard
PEI: Marie Doyle
PEI: Richard Rappe
NB: Mary Guptill
NB: Vacant

In Solidarity, CAMIC members

Brandice Blanchard

Vice-Chair for the CUPE Maritime Indigenous Council (CAMIC)

http://www.cupe.ca/water-is-life

 

 

Download the statement above here

 

 

Happy Pride Month!

We at CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador wish our brothers, sisters, friends, and comrades a happy pride month! We stand in solidarity with those in the LGTBQIA2S+ community and invite all our members to not only join in on the festivities this month, but also to join us in our fight for a safe and inclusive work environment for all.

Nurses Week 2023: Join Us in Celebrating Our Nursing Teams!

When the going gets tough, healthcare workers don’t quit. 

They show up. 

They keep us and our communities running.

Healthcare workers like licensed practical nurses and personal care attendants make sure that our families are always able to get the quality care that they need.

For National Nursing Week, join us in thanking all the dedicated healthcare workers across our province.

National Nursing Week is from May 8th to 14th this year. The celebrations take place during the same week as Florence Nightingale’s birthday, on May 12th, each year.

A print ad will appear in the Telegram‘s Nursing Week spot on March 9th in addition to digital ads (see above) on Saltwire newspaper websites across the province throughout the week. A radio ad will also run on stations province-wide. Listen to the radio ad below.

Registration Open: Join Us at Our Atlantic Week Long School!

 

This June, join us for a weeklong school to develop and improve the skills you need to better your local. Courses will include sections on leadership skills, member mobilization techniques, labour history, and the basics of stewarding. For more information, check out our brochure.

A scholarship is available for those who want to attend but cannot afford the cost. The CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador Scholarship will award $1200.00 to locals who wish to send a member. Check out the PDF linked below for more information regarding eligibility and how to apply for this scholarship.

CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador Scholarship

Want to register? Submit this form by mail or online by May 19th, 2023.

Global People Power: Building Worker Solidarity in a Global Economy

You’re invited!

Join us for our Global People Power workshop on April 5th at 6:30 p.m. AST.

This workshop focuses on explaining capitalism’s role in workers’ lives and examines the links between local and global issues.

\We will explore how building solidarity with workers in other countries strengthens the labour movement in Canada and worldwide.

Register by April 1st: https://cupe.ca/mrm-union-education/event/6213

Newfoundland and Labrador 2023 Budget Ignores Essential Health Care Workers

(St. John’s) – It is clear that the province is no longer in an economic crisis with the government’s release of its revised figures from 2022-23 of an additional $1.5 billion in revenue last fiscal year. However, the 2023-24 budget released today reinvests none of this revenue into public sector workers, leaving workers in Health Care, Libraries, Housing, Transition and Group Homes, and Education to have their income further eroded by high inflation.

A personal care assistant who earned $46,293 in April 2020 would have to be earning $51,461 in January 2023 just to keep up with inflation. Instead, the government’s plan would have that PCA earning $47,218. “Why does the government expect people to work for less each year? A PCA is making $4,242 less in 2023 than they did in 2020 due to inflation,” said CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador president Sherry Hillier. “This is why we have a retention issue. Who would work for less each year?”

“This budget promised $23 million to Health Care workers, but none will go to essential workers who are responsible for cooking, cleaning, and changing and caring for residents. These people are leaving the sector because they can’t make ends meet,” said Hillier. “Recruitment initiatives are great, but they don’t mean anything if we aren’t paying people what they’re worth.”

“We’ve been campaigning for increased spending in public housing for years. Today, the government promised to invest $17 million to repair and renovate vacant units,” said Hillier, “but we need to talk about retention again. The reality is that they can’t fill the positions needed for these improvements because they’re not paying their workers a competitive wage. If they want this initiative to work, they need to start paying public sector workers competitively.”

“We are pleased to see the promise to release a new wage grid for ECEs [Early Childhood Educators]. For years, they’ve been expected to do more with less, and investing $64 million is a good start. They are essential for our children’s early education,” said Hillier, “and it’s time we start paying them with that in mind. I’m hopeful that this new grid will properly reflect the work they do without capping their wages.”

For more information, contact:

Sherry Hillier
President, CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador
(709) 765-2996

Taylor Johnston
CUPE Atlantic Communications
(902) 536-4922