NEWS RELEASE
Over 4000 Home and Youth Care Workers Across the Province Ratify Collective Agreements
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
ST. JOHN’S, NL– Over 4000 home and youth care workers, who are members of The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE), have ratified their collective agreements. Voting for all home and youth care members concluded this week.
The agreements are between home and youth care workers, represented by NAPE, and the following 27 home care agencies: A Better Living, Maximum Home Support, Total Care Nursing, Bettercare, Notre Dame Compassionate, Your Home Care Services, Comfort Home Care, Provincial (Central), Loving Hands, Compassion Home Care, Provincial (Eastern), Serenity Home Care, Exploits Home Care, Quality Home Care, Horwoods Home Care, Helping Hands, Rosemore Home Care, Caregivers, Tender Loving Care, South Coast Home Care, All Care Home Support, Best of Care, Angel’s Touch Home Care, Caring Hands Home Care, Home Sweet Home/Placentia Home Care, and In Home Health Care.
The ratified agreements include monetary increases in wages, a signing bonus, as well as improvements in sick leave and other contract language.
“We are very pleased that home and youth care members have voted in favour of these agreements,” said NAPE President Jerry Earle. “Home and youth care workers play a vital role in our province’s health care system; providing care and support to some of our provinces most vulnerable. Home care workers allow both youth and seniors alike to stay in the comfort of their own homes and their own communities while also reducing the stress, strain, and financial burden on our health care facilities.”
“When NAPE first started to organize this group, home and youth care workers were making $6 an hour. We are proud to say that by the end of these agreements, these members will be making over $16 dollars an hour,” said Earle. “These agreements represent a major step towards the dignity, remuneration, and respect that home and youth care workers deserve for the valuable service they provide to thousands of people across our province.”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the bargaining teams who worked so hard to get us where we are today,” stated Earle.
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For further information, please contact:
Keith Dunne, NAPE Campaigns and Communications Coordinator
(phone) 709.570.2501 (cell) 709.631.9737 (email) kdunne@nape.ca
