New Brunswick public sector workers set to strike after contract talks abruptly end
Thousands of public sector workers in New Brunswick are set to go on strike after CUPE officials say the government abruptly walked away from contract talks Tuesday night, but Premier Blaine Higgs says he's prepared to order them back to work.
The union served notice earlier this month that its 22,000 members in 10 locals had voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike to back demands for higher wages.
The union members work in various sectors such as health care, education and public transportation, and CUPE New Brunswick president Steve Drost told a news conference in Fredericton Wednesday that a strike is imminent.
"This will happen as soon as we notify our members," Drost said. "Imminent is all we can say, and our members will be the first to know."
He said workers who have been declared essential would ensure safety and security, but a strike would have an impact on all New Brunswickers.
"You can't treat frontline workers like this. These frontline workers have been forced on the picket line by this government. It didn't need to happen," Drost said in an interview.
"Our members have told us they've gone as low as they can because we are still the lowest paid in Canada, and we can't go any lower. This premier is still offering these workers below the cost of living," he said.
Drost said the government was offering annual wage increases of two per cent for five years, while the union's last offer sought three per cent per year for four years. That was down from an original request for five per cent increases in each year of a four-year deal.
Higgs said the government's offer dealt with more than wages. He told a news conference in Fredericton that the government was willing to improve the pension coverage for many of the workers and provide full pay to casual workers who were working full-time.
He said the union was only willing to talk about the wage package, so that offer is now off the table. "It was something to help us close the deal. It was something that was clearly rejected, so now it's a new day," Higgs said.
He said while the province's finances are improving and on track for another surplus, a big factor in that success has been one-time funding from the federal government during the pandemic.
"I won't be in a position where I cut a deal this year that we can afford this year, but then we can't see a way to pay for it in future years," Higgs said. "I didn't come here to create more liability for the province."
Higgs said that if a strike has a serious impact on New Brunswick, particularly in health care, then he's prepared to order the employees back to work.
"People's lives are impacted enough right now. We will need to take action to protect New Brunswickers, and that may include the appropriate legislation," he said. "I hope this measure will not be necessary."
He said because the province is currently under an emergency order for the pandemic, a back-to-work order could be done through a cabinet directive rather than having to go through the legislature.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.