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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.