Lots of disruptions for New Brunswickers amid CUPE strike
Saint John's only COVID-19 assessment centre is closed indefinitely due to the ongoing labour dispute, according to the Horizon Health Network.
The facility, located on Ropewalk Road in the city's north end, will be shut down "for the duration of the strike" spokesperson Kris McDavid told CTV News in an email, as cancellations continue throughout the health-care system.
Horizon Health says that all elective and day surgeries have been cancelled, as have therapeutic services, ambulatory care clinics, laboratory services, and diagnostic or medical-imaging exams.
"Many of these patients have waited a long time for this intervention or diagnostic test or surgery – and now they're being told you're going to wait again," says New Brunswick Medical Society president Dr. Mark MacMillan.
"There is that risk of morbidity and worsening of their physical well-being and, of course, their mental health as well."
All visitation is restricted at Horizon Health facilities, and designated support persons are only allowed in "exceptional circumstances" on a case-by-case basis.
Unless you have been notified directly and told otherwise, the health authority says to presume that your appointment has been cancelled.
As well, starting Monday, schools have moved to online learning which will continue until the end of the strike. It's a situation that's causing frustration and difficulties for some parents in New Brunswick.
"My wife works full time, I work full time, I have an eight-year-old and a 13-year-old," says parent Justin Chatterton. "It's pretty difficult to find a babysitter on short notice and to try and facilitate the learning."
For parent Justin Tinker, who has one child in elementary school and another who is three-years-old, he's now had to stay home from work.
"Because of the premier's selfish decision not to sit down and go back to the table with CUPE, I'm forced to take time off," says Tinker, "we're still paying for daycare for our other child but unable to reap the benefits of it."
Meanwhile, the New Brunswick Medical Society is urging both the provincial government and CUPE to return to the negotiating table and work to find a resolution.
CUPE NB PRESIDENT SAYS UNION FEELS PUBLIC SUPPORT
In an interview with CTV Atlantic on Monday evening, CUPE New Brunswick president Stephen Drost said the workers didn't take the decision to go strike lightly, citing a few aggravating factors.
"There's been a lot of trickery or maybe misleading information. Our workers are among the lowest paid or the lowest paid in Canada," Drost said.
It goes beyond wages for the CUPE employees New Brunswick, though.
"They have been without a contract for four or five years," Drost said. "They said they were tired and fed up. The bargaining team had been invited back to the table and then, once the government had walked away for the second or third time in the middle of negotiations, they just said 'you know what we're done.'"
Drost said that in May, CUPE told the province they wanted the contracts to be settled by Labour Day and, if they weren't, they'd be forced to take job action.
He told CTV Atlantic that the workers are confident in their decision.
"First and foremost, the public support has been phenomenal," Drost said. "We've never seen it so high. I received a message today and Facebook's blowing up with the support all of the members that are out on the picket line, it's unbelievable the level of support.The public has our back on this one."
Drost also disputed something New Brunswick Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy said Monday about the union not providing the government with accurate or up to date and specific information about its strike plans.
"He doesn't have that quite correct," Drost said. "In fact, we had given proper notice and the notice was given the night before that the workers the CUPE workers that are in the school said that they are going to be taking drawbacks."
MARCH TO LEGISLATURE PLANNED FOR TUESDAY
Late Monday night, CUPE issued a release saying striking and locked-out members will march to the legislative assembly of New Brunswick on Tuesday as MLAs return to the legislature.
The marches start at noon from two locations -- and converge at the House of Assembly at 1 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.