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Bill Black: CUPE’s strike for ‘living wage’ unrealistic

Union does disservice to Nova Scotia long-term care workers on strike

Unionized long-term care and seniors home workers in Nova Scotia began their strike on April 13. They are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

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The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is a research arm for unions. The unions provide CCPA the needed funding.

CCPA calculates what they propose as a “living wage” based on the location of an employee group. They then argue that it should be the minimum wage for all employees, whether or not they are unionized.

Nova Scotia’s minimum wage increased to $16.75 per hour on April 1. CCPA calculates their “living wage” for Nova Scotia is $27.60 per hour, a bit higher in Halifax and lower elsewhere in the province.

The process used to develop the number “typically models a family of four (two adults working full time, two children).”

An hourly wage of $27.60 means annual income of $50,232. So the modelled family would have an income of just over $100,000.

The offers to employees of care homes align with those paid to employees doing similar work in hospitals, home care and other parts........

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