Licensed practical nurses in N.S. to get 12% raise
Increase follows arbitrator's award for LPNs at former Capital District Health Authority
Licensed practical nurses across Nova Scotia are about to get a notable raise.
The provincial government announced plans Wednesday to ensure LPNs working for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, IWK Health Centre, and in long-term care, disability support programs and home care settings are all paid at the same rate.
The move follows an arbitrator's ruling in June that awarded a 12 per cent pay increase, retroactive to March of 2014, to about 400 LPNs who worked at the time for the former Capital District Health Authority. A 2014 grievance noted that the nurses' scope of work had expanded and their pay should reflect the change.
With Wednesday's announcement, the raise is now also extended to about 2,600 additional LPNs across the province and is effective as of June 11 of this year. The retroactive pay only applies to the LPNs involved in the original grievance from 2014.
The cost of the annual increase for all LPNs amounts to $21.8 million. The retroactive pay for the former Capital District LPNs is worth $19.3 million.
The raise moves the top of the regular salary scale for LPNs from $52,707 to $58,634. Starting salary for a new LPN will shift from $49,074 to $54,963.
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