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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.