Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) updates
CUPE represents 19 different job classifications in 55 long-term care homes across Nova Scotia, covered by 51 collective agreements.
The ongoing bargaining with CUPE in this sector is for agreements that have expired in 2023. It's important to note that the agreements would expire in 2027. Once accepted, negotiations on the next agreement could begin as early as summer 2027.
The wages below align with those paid to employees doing similar work in hospitals (NSH and IWK), home care and other parts of the healthcare system who have already accepted offers. Long-term care employees represented by CUPE are still being paid at 2023 wage rates, while others with settled agreements are being paid at more recent levels.
The wage levels shown are consistent with agreements already accepted across the sector and reflect efforts to bring pay for similar jobs closer together.
In fact, the terms of the offer have been accepted at almost 30 other long-term care facilities in the past six months, some as recently as March 2026.
| Classification | Average wages under current expired agreement (per hour)* | Projected average wage at the end of new agreements expiring in 2027 (per hour)* |
|---|---|---|
| CCA | $24.10 | $27.68 |
| Food services, housekeeping, laundry | $18.77 | $21.22 |
| LPN | $30.42 | $34.93 |
| Journeyman cook | $24.56 | $27.52 |
| Maintenance worker (non-trade) | $23.10 | $25.68 |
| Cook | $22.47 | $25.17 |
| Activity worker, recreation programmer | $24.11 | $29.82 |
| Physio aide | $24.32 | $30.08 |
| Seamstress | $19.45 | $21.79 |
| Orderlies | $24.73 | $28.31 |
| Ward clerk | $20.44 | $22.90 |
| Dietitian | $40.71 | $50.35 |
| Occupational therapist | $40.21 | $49.73 |
| Physiotherapist | $40.21 | $49.73 |
| Watchman | $19.83 | $22.22 |
| Hairdresser | $19.57 | $21.93 |
| Utility worker – driver | $18.30 | $21.22 |
| Social worker | $39.39 | $46.37 |
| LTCA | $18.77 | $21.22 |
| *Wages shown reflect the top of pay scales | ||
The current offer to CUPE-represented facilities includes retroactive pay for three years, dating back to 2023.
This chart indicates examples of retroactive pay received by other full-time workers who have recently accepted the deal at other facilities. Note, these are averages only. Individuals may see variations based on their own schedules going back to 2023.
Job classification |
Average net retroactive pay after deductions for full-time workers |
CCA |
$2,500 |
Dietary aide |
$3,800 |
Environmental services |
$3,000 |
LPN |
$3,100 |
LTC assistant |
$1,600 |
Physiotherapy aide 2 |
$3,200 |
Physiotherapy aide 3 |
$7,200 |
Other Nova Scotia programs are not reflected in the bargaining like free tuition and training for Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) and opportunities to upgrade their skills at no cost to the employee. These programs are unique to the continuing care sector in Nova Scotia.
All CCAs across the province also received an approximately 23 percent wage increase in 2022. This wage increase was made when bargaining was not underway, demonstrating government commitment to treating employees fairly.
Wage levels by classification
The table above shows average hourly wages under the most recent expired agreements and how those wages would change by the end of agreements expiring in 2027.
Across all classifications:
- every position sees an increase between 12% and 24%
- many roles see meaningful wage growth over the term of the agreement
- some positions see larger increases to help close wage gaps between long-term care and other health care settings
- increases in shift and weekend premiums, going from $2.35 to $4.00 per hour
- in addition, all positions will be offered access to defined benefit pensions, which were previously only available at certain facilities
Why increases differ by job
Not all jobs are receiving the same percentage increase. The overall goal of the current wage offer is to close the gap between those working in different healthcare settings but doing similar work.
Where those gaps were larger, bigger increases were needed to make pay more consistent across the system. The goal is fairness—the same work should be paid more similarly, no matter where it is done.
Additional supports beyond wages
Some important supports are not included in wage tables. For example, Nova Scotia offers:
- free tuition and training for Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs)
- opportunities to upgrade skills at no cost to employees
These programs are unique to the continuing care sector in Nova Scotia and represent additional investment in the workforce.