Nova Scotia to raise continuing care assistants’ wages by 23 per cent
Global News
Effective Thursday, wages for CCAs in the publicly-funded sector in Nova Scotia will increase by about 23 per cent -- the highest salary for the sector in Atlantic Canada.
Nova Scotia has announced it is spending $65 million to ensure its continuing care assistants become the highest paid in Atlantic Canada.
Effective Thursday, wages for CCAs in the publicly-funded sector will increase by about 23 per cent.
This raise will bring the top annual salary for CCAs to $48,419, or about $25 an hour. According to the province, this will mean nearly $9,000 more per year for most full-time workers.
“We’re doing everything we can to fix the system,” said Premier Tim Houston in a news release.
“We’ve heard from CCAs and unions time and again that we can’t do this until we address wages for CCAs,” Houston said, adding he was shocked to hear Nova Scotia’s were the lowest in the country.
In late November 2021, employees of long-term care across Nova Scotia rallied to demand government support.
CCAs had said they are burned out, oftentimes working short-staffed and having to work multiple jobs due to low wages.
“I’m burned out. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t say that I love being a CCA anymore because I don’t,” Paul Andrew Daley said in November, after spending 28 years in the sector. He also said residents of long-term care aren’t receiving the best possible care because staff are burnt out.
