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CUPE and Health PEI Reach New Tentative Collective Agreement

Charlottetown, PEI –  – Health PEI and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) are pleased to announce a tentative three-year collective agreement covering the period from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2026. CUPE members in healthcare (Locals 805, 1051, 1778, and 1779) will vote on the agreement on Tuesday, June 24.

The tentative agreement represents a shared commitment to building a stronger health system through fair compensation, improved working conditions, and long-term staffing stability.

“CUPE members are the backbone of safe, high-quality care across Prince Edward Island,” said Melanie Fraser, CEO of Health PEI. “This tentative agreement shows what we can achieve when we work together to find solutions. We remain committed to building a more sustainable health system for all Islanders.”

“It has been a very difficult five years for our members. We went through COVID-19, rising living costs, staff shortages, and more than two years without a contract,” said Robyn Sharp, President of CUPE Local 1051. “This investment by Health PEI recognizes the critical role our members play in the health system and gives them the respect and support they deserve.”

John MacKenzie, Chief Shop Steward for Local 805 and long-time member of the bargaining team, said: “This was one of the most difficult rounds of negotiations we’ve faced, but it resulted in a historic agreement that our members have earned. I am not the only one who feels that this deal will be life-changing for workers. It’s an exceptionally good deal, and I’m happy to see that Health PEI and the Province are investing in their front-line staff.”

Key Highlights of the Tentative Agreement:

  • General wage increases of 10.5% over three years
  • A $5.50/hour wage grid reset, effective April 1, 2025, to improve competitiveness and address wage compression
  • A Full-Time Commitment Pay of $1.07/hour worked (on a trial basis, expiring March 31, 2026)
  • Service Retention Premiums:
    • Additional 2% after 10 years of service
    • An additional 2% after 15 years
  • Increased shift premiums:
    • $2.25/hour for shift work
    • $3.50/hour for weekend shifts
  • A $500 Retiree Return Incentive
  • A $130,000 annual Professional Development Fund with structured reporting

This agreement was made possible with the support of the Government of Prince Edward Island and Treasury Board, which provided an updated mandate aimed at achieving a fair outcome. Negotiations resumed collaboratively ahead of a scheduled interest arbitration hearing in October 2025.

CUPE and Health PEI remain committed to working together to support a resilient, responsive, and respectful public healthcare system for all Islanders.

CUPE Locals 805, 1051, 1778, and 1779 represent over 1300 healthcare workers in the PEI public health system. They represent workers in laundry, dietary, maintenance, maintenance trades,  housekeeping,  ward clerks, sterile technicians and more. They work in our hospitals, public long-term care homes, addiction treatment centres and public health offices.

Public Service Workers Call Out Lantz Government Over Failed Labour Relations and Privatization

Charlottetown – Over 125 public sector workers rallied today outside the provincial government office on Rochford Street to send a clear message to Premier Lantz and his cabinet: public services matter, and so do the workers who deliver them.

The noon-hour rally, organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) PEI, drew members from education, UPEI, education, nursing homes, municipalities, and other frontline sectors. Participants called for immediate action on stalled contract talks, an end to costly privatization schemes, and real investment in public services.

“Premiers have come and gone, but our healthcare locals are still without a fair deal,” said Ashley Clark, President of CUPE PEI, addressing the crowd. They have been waiting since March 2023. “It’s unacceptable that this government continues to waste millions on consultant firms like KPMG while ignoring the practical solutions being offered by its own workers.”  “How about listening and bargaining with your own employees before getting third parties to make a profit on the crisis?” asked Clark. CUPE PEI notes that over 5 million dollars has been wasted on opaque consulting firms hired to analyze issues plaguing public healthcare. 

Speakers at the rally highlighted the growing pressure on the public system and called on the Lantz government to prioritize its workforce as a path to better service delivery.

“Public services are not a business experiment,” said Clark. “Education needs investment, long-term care needs stability, and our members need wages that keep up with the cost of living.”

CUPE PEI is also concerned by the changes the PC government pushed through regarding visa eligibility for international students. “Their decisions caused layoffs and austerity at the University, and it is affecting both students and staff. This is hurting our province’s future,” said Clark.

Clark also warned that labour relations will be a central issue in the upcoming by-elections across the province. “Our members are mobilized. Voters are paying attention. Fighting back against privatization will matter at the doors and in the ballot boxes.”

CUPE PEI represents thousands of public sector workers across Prince Edward Island in sectors including health, education, municipalities, PSE, and social services.

May 1st – International Workers’ Day

On May Day, we honour workers—past and present—who have fought for the rights and protections we enjoy today. This is a day to reflect, but also to organize.

Here in Prince Edward Island, CUPE members are the backbone of our public services. Whether in healthcare, education, municipalities, or community services, your dedication keeps this province running.

But working people still face serious challenges: affordability, understaffing, and a lack of respect from decision-makers. That’s why CUPE PEI continues to push back—at the bargaining table, in the legislature, and in our communities.

This May 1st, let’s renew our commitment to each other. Let’s keep building a movement that leaves no worker behind.

We celebrate your strength, your resilience, and your solidarity. Together, we will keep fighting for fairness and justice for all.

In solidarity,
CUPE Prince Edward Island

Workers’ Day of Mourning – April 28

On April 28, we gather to mark the Workers’ Day of Mourning, a tradition started by CUPE members over 40 years ago to honour those who have lost their lives or been injured at work. This day is a time for reflection, remembrance, and a renewed commitment to creating safer workplaces.

CUPE PEI invites all Islanders to participate in flag-raising ceremonies and observe a moment of silence to honour these workers and all others who have been injured, fallen ill, or died due to their work. We also call on employers across Prince Edward Island to recognize this day and to take concrete action to improve health and safety in all workplaces.

Today, and every day, we remember. We mourn the dead, and we fight for the living.

Lest We Forget.

PEI Budget: Missed Opportunity to Strengthen Public Services

Charlottetown, PEI –The Lantz government’s 2025-2026 operating budget is cause for concern, as it once again prioritizes short-term private sector gains over long-term public service solutions.
“With a record-breaking $183.9 million deficit, this budget could have marked a turning point in how we invest in people and public infrastructure,” said CUPE PEI President Ashley Clark. “Instead, this deficit is largely tax dollars flowing to private operators and consultants—without clear fixes for the core issues within our public sector.”
In her speech, Finance Minister Jill Burridge framed the deficit as a necessary response to population growth and global trade turmoil.  “There’s no denying we will face a tough year,” said Ashley Clark. “But we need smart, structural public sector investments, so we can be strong enough to weather the storm,” she added. Instead, this government is making the foolish decision to cut provincial revenues (cutting the corporate tax rates from 16% to 15%) while increasing spending in corporate handouts.
Clark acknowledged the increased healthcare spending, including the jump to nearly $1.1 billion for Health PEI, but criticized how the funds are allocated. “Again, we’re seeing more public dollars handed over to private consultants and staffing firms. The private healthcare staffing agencies, for example, cost Islanders 20 million dollars. That is 4 times more than what the PCs had planned for. Imagine what that level of spending could do if it were invested in Island workers and public institutions instead of steadily funnelling out of the public purse.”
CUPE PEI urges our government to view this moment as an opportunity, not just a crisis. The budget includes supports like wage increases for early childhood educators and a modest $1.5 million for reskilling workers, but it’s not enough to fix long-standing recruitment and retention issues.
“People don’t move to or visit PEI for tax cuts or contingency funds—they come for quality of life, for good schools, for accessible healthcare, for a strong sense of community,” she continued. “That starts with a strong public sector. This budget was another missed opportunity for the government to show that they believe in investing in Islanders.”
CUPE PEI represents over 3,400 members across healthcare, education, municipalities, post-secondary education, long-term care, and more.

Negotiations Break Down between the City of Charlottetown and its Water & Sewer Utility Employees

CHARLOTTETOWN – CUPE Local 830, representing 30 workers at the Charlottetown Water & Sewer Utility, has filed for conciliation after 13 days of negotiations failing to produce a tentative agreement with the City.
The workers have been without a collective agreement since December 31, 2022. While respectful dialogue was maintained at the bargaining table, the City’s final wage offer of 2% per year over four (4) years falls short of covering the rising costs of everyday essentials like groceries, housing, transportation, and utilities.
“We’re not asking for the moon,” said Rob Howatt, President of CUPE 830. “We’re asking for a fair deal that respects the work we do, the skills we bring, and to be protected from inflation eating away our pay,” added Howatt.
The Union is proposing a more reasonable 3.5% per year over four (4) years. In the last contract, the wage increase was 2% per year.   With the high inflation experienced in Prince Edward Island during that time, the contract’s cost of living adjustment (COLA) provision did provide an additional 2.08% in 2021 and 5.83% in 2022. However, these adjustments did not cover the cost of living on essentials for those years.  With the inflation experienced in 2023, the purchasing power of these frontline utility workers will be further eroded if they accept the employer’s offer.
“We’re hopeful the City will improve its offer in conciliation and come with a renewed commitment to fairness,” said Howatt.

CUPE Local 1770 Urges Respect and Kindness for Frontline School Staff

CUPE Local 1770, representing School Administrative Assistants and Branch-Based Clerical Staff across Prince Edward Island, is calling on the public to extend compassion and understanding to frontline school staff. This comes in light of hateful responses directed at our members, particularly regarding recent decisions made by the Public Schools Branch, such as the removal of student memorials from schools.

“While we understand that some decisions in education can spark strong emotions, it’s crucial to remember that our members are not responsible for these decisions. Yet, they are often the ones bearing the brunt of public frustration,” said Tracy Campbell, President of CUPE Local 1770. CUPE Local 1770 members are the heart of PEI schools. They manage essential behind-the-scenes tasks like processing payroll, scheduling bus routes, and ordering supplies, while also being the welcoming faces and voices greeting staff, students, and families each day. They provide care, answer calls, and connect people to the right resources.

Harassment and Verbal Abuse Are Not Part of the Job
“Our members do their best to serve their communities with compassion and respect,” Campbell said. “However, they are increasingly subjected to verbal abuse, name-calling, and even threats, whether in person, over the phone, or online. This has been an ongoing issue, raised repeatedly with the employer in labour-management meetings.”
CUPE Local 1770 wants to remind the public that frontline staff have no authority over policy changes or mandates. They are not decision-makers; they are hard-working individuals fulfilling their duties with professionalism and care.

A Call for Community Respect
CUPE Local 1770 encourages everyone to direct their concerns to the appropriate decision-makers, rather than taking out frustrations on frontline staff. Harassment has no place in our schools or communities. “Our members live and work in the same communities they serve. They deserve to feel safe and respected in their roles and outside their workplaces,” added Campbell. “Whether it’s at a grocery store, a coffee shop, or on social media, our members should not have to face work-related harassment in their personal lives.”
CUPE Local 1770 stands firm in fostering respectful and kind workplaces and communities for all. We ask the public to join us in showing appreciation for the frontline school staff who work tirelessly to support PEI’s education system.

Health care support workers petition for liveable wage

Article from the Eastern Graphic, written by Charlotte MacAulay May 15, 2024.

When contract negotiations broke down between CUPE health care support workers and Health PEI on April 10, union reps and workers voiced their frustration outside the PEI legislature and have since started a petition.

“The CUPE Health Negotiation Team created the petition to bring awareness to the PEI government through signatures of support for CUPE Support Service Workers,” said Local 1779 president Chris Lewis.

“Workers are struggling to maintain the basic necessities of life. Many hold second jobs to make ends meet, or work short in areas, causing workload stresses to workers and their families. We are really just trying to send government the message that the public stands behind what we are fighting for.” It is not a new message to government, Mr Lewis said, the four CUPE Health Locals 805, 1051, 1778 and 1779, representing 1,300 workers, met with Premier Dennis King and Health Minister Mark McLane in June 2023.

At the time the politicians told union reps their concerns over low wages would be addressed at the bargaining table. That didn’t happen, Mr Lewis said. “The offer wasn’t enough to address inflation for our workers,” he added.

The locals represent workers in laundry, dietary, maintenance, maintenance trades and housekeeping roles. Also under the umbrella are ward clerks and sterile technicians. They work in public long-term care homes, hospitals, addiction treatment centres and public health offices. “Everyone is important within a facility,” he said. “The majority of our workers are the lowest paid in the system.”

There is no official count of signatures as yet. Mr Lewis said the four locals have been circulating the petition across the province. “Anyone approached has been quite supportive,” he said. Mr Lewis has worked maintenance at Kings County Memorial Hospital for 24 years and has seen the issues of the wage gap and burnout a few years prior to the pandemic.

He said the fact that wage hikes are doled out in percentages puts things on an uneven keel.“After awhile the higher earners will get ahead a little more, and the ones making the least amount don’t make many gains,” he said. When people can’t make ends meet they have to move on to survive.“There are a lot of vacancies and people leaving the system, especially in our groups because a lot of people are finding it tough,” he said. This makes things hard for those still in the workforce.

“People are working overtime just to keep things going, and people get tired. It hurts a lot of things like your family life and your own health too if you get a little burnt out,” Mr Lewis said. It has been over a month since that gathering at the legislature where the premier said they wanted to get back to the table, but nothing has changed.

Currently they are in conciliation with Health PEI which means both sides communicate through an independent moderator. The premier’s office, the Department of Health and Wellness and Health PEI didn’t respond to questions by press time. The collective agreement the two sides are bargaining was due to be updated in March of 2023.

PEI Government’s Budget Fails to Adequately Address Public Sector Concerns

Charlottetown, PEI – Ashley Clark, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) PEI Division, today expressed disappointment with the PEI Government’s 2024-25 operating budget announcement, stating that it falls short of addressing critical needs within the public sector.

“While the PEI Government’s budget highlights investments in healthcare, housing, and affordability, it simply does not go far enough to address the pressing concerns faced by our frontline workers and residents,” stated Ashley Clark. “Premier Dennis King’s administration continues to overlook the essential needs of our healthcare system and fails to adequately support our valued public sector employees.”

Clark pointed out that despite allocations for healthcare improvements, the budget fails to address the underlying issues contributing to staff shortages, wage disparities, and resource deficiencies within the healthcare sector. “Allocating funds for additional patient medical homes and doctor recruitment is commendable, but without addressing fundamental issues such as bringing long-term care (LTC) workers to the public sector, these measures remain insufficient,” she emphasized. CUPE PEI notes that private sector wages would not need to reach parity with healthcare if PEI embraced LTC as a public service. “Healthcare wages are too low, and that is much worse in private LTC,” said Clark.

Furthermore, Clark criticized the budget for its lack of substantial measures to improve relations with frontline workers. “Premier Dennis King needs to recognize the importance of building better relationships with our frontline workers, who have been tirelessly serving our communities, and that is not reflected at all in our bargaining talks with the province,” Clark asserted. “Improving public services requires serious financial investments and it requires genuine collaboration and respect for public sector employees.”

CUPE PEI urged the PEI Government to prioritize meaningful dialogue with public sector unions and workers to address their concerns effectively. “We call on Premier Dennis King and his government to engage in constructive dialogue with CUPE Locals to develop comprehensive solutions that prioritize the well-being of our workers and the residents they serve,” Clark concluded.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) PEI represents over 3400 members across various sectors, including healthcare, education, municipalities, post-secondary education, long-term care, and more.

PEI Long-Term Care Review fails to add new insights

CUPE Local 2523, representing close to 200 Atlantic Baptist Nursing Home workers, along with CUPE PEI, issues a statement regarding the recently published Long-Term Care (LTC) review. While the review acknowledges inequities and calls for improvements in the private sector, it falls short of addressing the fundamental issues faced by LTC residents and workers.

The report emphasizes aligning qualifications, recruitment, retention, and financial aspects but lacks a comprehensive plan for improving LTC conditions. “Simply aligning an underfunded public sector with an even worse private sector does not provide the visionary change needed in LTC,” said CUPE Servicing Representative Lori Mackay.

“Many of the review’s recommendations merely suggest further investigation into known issues, delaying crucial action,” added Mackay. CUPE Local 2523, the PEI Health Council, and CUPE PEI initially presented recommendations in October 2022 advocating for higher-quality care, increased staffing, improved data, wage and working conditions improvements, and clear pandemic plans.

CUPE highlights the following elements, among many others, which were brought forth by care workers but inexplicably absent from the review:

  1. Transition private LTC homes to the public sector to ensure higher quality of care.
  2. Increase staffing levels in long-term care homes to improve quality of care.
  3. Negotiate fairly with unions to improve working conditions for all classifications of workers.
    1. The government has set aside some funds for wages but not true parity between private and public sectors.
    2. In current bargaining, Local 2523 has had no choice but to go into conciliation to push back on their employer’s “zeroes” (years of wage freezes) and below-inflation wage demands.
    3. Unlike other sectors, no worker in LTC has received any retention or recruitment bonuses.
  4. Support LTC workers in working reasonable hours and allow workers to take time off.
  5. Increase the number of paid sick leave for staff to 20 days per year.
  6. Maintain free tuition coverage for resident care worker programs and create educational bridging programs to train Resident Care Workers as Licensed Practical Nurses.
  7. Address the workplace psychosocial contributors to poor mental health including harassment, violence, and heavy workload.
  8. Enact pay equity in the sector, as LTC work is predominantly done by women.
  9. Address the discrepancy in resident infection rates between public and private LTC facilities.

Real progress in LTC requires a more comprehensive approach, which really recognizes the importance of those who deliver care to residents. “CUPE PEI calls on the provincial government to do the right thing and make our long-term care service a real publicly-owned and operated healthcare service. All residents and workers in this sector deserve the same standard of safety, dignity, and quality of care,” concluded Ashley Clark, President of CUPE PEI.