More than 4,500 nursing home workers across New Brunswick now have a new collective agreement in place.
The union signed the new deal with the employer, the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, on Wednesday.
The New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions (NBCNHU) describes it as a “historic win” for workers.
By the end of the new contract in 2028, they will have achieved wage parity with health-care workers.
“This is a good day for our members and for the seniors they care for,” Sharon Teare, president of the NBCNHU, said in a news release.
“Workers stood strong, and I commend their resolve and their activism through a long but ultimately fruitful negotiation process. Their determination has paid off.”
According to the union, the new deal includes annual wage increases of more than $1 per hour for each year of the agreement.
The previous contract expired in late 2022 and negotiations were at an impasse with the previous Progressive Conservative government.
The union said the new Liberal government, which funds nursing home operations, played an important role in getting a new collective agreement.
“We recognize the provincial government’s willingness to do what previous administrations failed to do: invest in care by investing in caregivers,” said Teare.
The New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions represents licensed practical nurses, personal support workers, cooks, janitorial staff and other frontline workers in nursing homes.
