Strike looms for thousands of public sector workers in New Brunswick
Thousands of people who work in New Brunswick's public sector could be on strike within a week.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have seen seven of its 10 locals in New Brunswick vote to strike unless the province comes to the table.
They say they are the least paid public workers in Canada and want a fair deal.
Of the votes tallied, between 91 and 98 per cent have voted to strike.
If the province doesn't come to the table soon, CUPE says there could be a strike as early as October.
"We've been working very hard to try and collaborate with the province and get good, fair, decent wages for all of the workers within those locals," says Stephen Drost, president of CUPE New Brunswick.
A strike would affect every facet of the province's public works. CUPE represents thousands of public sector workers, including schools and hospitals.
"It would be in education, it would be in health, it would be in social services, it would be in transportation, communication. These 22,000 members or 10 locals basically are working in pretty well every public sector within this province," says Drost.
The results of four locals were counted Monday and votes for three others were already completed, giving a strong mandate to strike.
"In my opinion, if they have the right to strike, so be it. Obviously, they're looking for some benefits that right now they aren't entitled to or pay that could give them a reasonable cost of living," says David Delong, a Fredericton resident.
Kathleen Lindsay, an educational assistant, says it's scary right now, but job action could help a lot of people in the long run.
"I just want fair wages for everybody to get what they deserve. And if the strike does happen, I hope it's quick because you can't run a province without the workers and we're a big part of it," says Lindsay.
"We don't want the strike to happen, we'd rather see results prior to the strike."
CTV reached out to the Government of New Brunswick for comment, but did not receive a response before the news deadline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.