Strike looming for government labourers, park employees, tradespeople in New Brunswick

A strike could be on the horizon for over 2,100 workers within New Brunswick’s government.

On Wednesday, CUPE Local 1190 announced during a press conference that the NB Labour and Employment Board has declared a formal impasse in contract talks with the provincial governments, with no word on when the two sides may return to the table. The strike could begin as soon as the end of July.

“The strike is always the last option,” CUPE Local 1190 president Jonathan Guimond told reporters Wednesday. “We hope that the employer recognizes that the impacts of what that could have.”

Members within the union include government laborers, park employees, mechanics, tradespeople, and more. A strike would impact services that are essential to New Brunswickers (and tourists) during the summer months such as provincial parks, ferry services, as well as provincial road/bridge repairs and operations.

“Those (provincial parks employees) would all be held on the picket lines,” Guimond says. “Therefore it would close all of the parks, because the majority of the people who work in the parks are casual employees.”

Guimond also notes a large majority of employees working within the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and Service New Brunswick would also be on picket lines.

“It would be a huge impact.”

The current collective agreement between the two sides expired in December of 2022 while the two sides had been negotiated for the past 19 months. The major sticking point between the two parties amidst the dispute at this time is wages.

CUPE says the last offer sent by the province had a wage increase of $3.25 for a member earning the median wage of $25.44. Guimond says that deal would mean an even lower increase for 50 per cent of the membership earning less than that hourly wage, which does not address the rise in the cost of living over the past few years.

"The government's proposed wages are insufficient to deal with recruitment and retention. They fail to recognize how investing in our frontlines will save our province money,” said Guimond. “They recognize this at the municipal level, where trades peoples along with other classifications in municipalities such as Edmundston, Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton, earn nearly $5 to $10 more per hour.”

The latest proposal submitted by the union was a $7.25 per hour wage increase and other benefits for someone earning the median wage. The bargaining team followed that up with a one-time offer of a $6 wage increase and other benefits in hopes of avoiding a work stoppage, which was rejected by the employer.

Hearing the news of a potential strike does not bode well for residents who rely and use these services, such as the Gondola Point Ferry.

Donna Lock uses the ferry throughout the week to get from Quispamsis to the Kingston Peninsula, and says it will add an extra half hour on her trip each way if the ferry isn’t around.

“Well that would make it inconvenient,” says Lock while waiting for the ferry. “We would have to drive around which is more difficult and longer.”

The sentiment is felt by users of New River Beach Provincial Park just outside of Saint John. Wednesday, the beach was filled with campers and day users alike, but a strike could make for a quiet second half of the summer on the popular beach.

“I think it would be disastrous,” Cindy Needler told CTV News while enjoying the waterfront after a night of camping. “It's hard on tourist attractions to make a living when their season is so short, and it kind of sucks that somebody would want to go on strike and take away our fun. Not a good idea.”

CUPE Local 1190 says it will move working with strike votes in the weeks ahead if the employer does now show a “willingness” to have construction talks at the table.

In a statement to CTV News on Wednesday, the province said “Both parties continue to work within the structure set out in the Public Service Labour Relations Act with the goal of arriving at a new collective agreement. The provincial government, as the employer, remains open to a return to the table to resume negotiations with CUPE 1190. Despite CUPE releasing confidential bargaining information, the Employer will not comment on the specific wage adjustments at this time. We hope to reach a fair agreement for all, and as the bargaining process remains ongoing, we are unable to comment further.” 

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.