Thursday, April 16 at 1:30pm. By Zoom. To register for the event and receive the Zoom link, email: tglynn@stu.ca.

Most of the people killed by COVID-19 in Canada are seniors living in a senior residence or nursing home. Are New Brunswick’s nursing homes able to deal with the COVID-19 crisis? Before the COVID-19 crisis hit, New Brunswick’s nursing home workers’ struggles to improve the standard of care and working conditions in nursing homes were headline news. Nursing home workers have been forced to go to court. They have occupied the Social Development Minister’s Office. They have written letters to family members of nursing home residents to ensure them of how much the workers care for the residents. They demand pay equity.

Join a panel on “Nursing Homes in a Time of COVID and Why Unions Matter” with:

Sharon Teare, president of CUPE’s New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions, on conditions faced by New Brunswick’s nursing home workers, their demands, and what has changed with COVID-19.

Simon Ouellette, communications officer for CUPE NB, on why workers need unions and what unions have done to unite workers ill-served by austerity politics.

Johanne Perron, executive director of the NB Coalition for Pay Equity, on the coalition’s strategies for pay equity for workers in nursing homes, home support services, transition houses, family support services, special care homes, community residences and Adult Developmental Activities, Programs and Training (ADAPT) agencies.

Suggested reading:

COVID-19 marks year 40 of CUPE’s fight to improve nursing homes in New Brunswick
https://nbmediacoop.org/2020/03/30/covid-19-marks-year-40-of-cupes-fight-to-improve-nursing-homes-in-new-brunswick/

Canada nursing home reels from death of almost half its residents
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/canadian-nursing-home-reels-from-death-of-half-its-residents-bobcaygeon