Two more long-term care homes in Nova Scotia have voted to strike, adding to the growing list.

In two separate news releases Wednesday, CUPE says workers from Maritime Odd Fellows Home in Pictou as well as staff at Ryan Hall in Bridgewater all voted 100 per cent in favour of job action.

For staff at Maritime Odd Fellows Home, key sticking points are low wages, issues with overtime and much needed improvements to bereavement leave.

Ralph Vickers, President of CUPE 2033 says, long-term care is a vital part of our health care system.

“We are needed, the government has even deemed us essential, so my question is why won’t the government pay us like we are,” says Vickers.

At Ryan Hall, poor recruitment and retention, personal leave as well as low wages were key issues.

Erin Johnson, President of CUPE 5033 says, it is not an easy job.

“We’re nurses and friends, a shoulder to cry on or a chess partner. We’re the first person they see when they wake up and the last before they go to sleep. Sometimes, we’re the only people they see in a day or week,” says Johnson.

“That can be hard, but we do this, we stay because we care. We care about the job and the residents and want to stay by their side. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be paid fairly. That doesn’t mean we should live pay cheque to pay cheque.”

Workers from over 50 long-term care homes have been taking strike votes, with many agreeing to job action in places like Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Hammonds Plains and Yarmouth.

According to the union, some workers filed for conciliation Monday, after talks broke down with the Houston government.

Last week, the province’s long-term care minister Barbara Adams said she has every confidence the government will reach a good and fair contract with the workers.

Adams said the province has upped staffing by 33 percent over the last four years, the highest rate in the country.

-with files from Kevin Northup