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Canadian Union of Public Employees Members in All Out to Support Workers' Struggle for Their Rights and in Defence of Public Services!
In its October 27 press release, CUPE NB announced that mediated talks between the CUPE Centralized Bargaining Team and the government of New Brunswick ended that day, after the government broke off talks. CUPE's centralized team represents ten locals and approximately 22,000 members. Most locals have been waiting for new collective agreements for over four years. Their members' wages have stagnated and declined over the past twelve years, mostly as a result of wage freezes and recurring one per cent wage increases. According to CUPE, in addition to impoverishing public sector workers in New Brunswick, who are now the lowest paid in Canada, this has also aggravated the serious problem of retaining workers as well as attracting workers to the public service and has even caused out-of-province labour migration. Speaking to the union's demands, CUPE NB President Steve Drost wrote in the release: "We moved significantly from our initial demand, expecting some reciprocity and goodwill from the government, but that did not happen." The union informs that in order to obtain a settlement, it reduced its wage demands. It lowered its wage demands to a three per cent increase per year for a 4-year contract, without concessions. In its last offer, the government put forward a two per cent wage offer for a 5-year contract, along with an unacceptable concession on the issue of pensions, especially given that this centralized negotiation was supposed to be about wages only. On the morning of October 27, government negotiators simply walked away from the table for the second time in as many months. Premier Blaine Higgs told reporters that his offer is now off the table and that the government has nothing else to offer. "We're not going higher," he stated. With regard to the pension concession, Steve Drost had this to say to Workers' Forum: "The government wants to convert two defined-benefit pension plans of locals in the education sector to [that of] a shared-risk model, which the members are opposed to. And it wants to make that part of the negotiations. He is holding the other locals hostage [saying that] either you convert your pensions or none of you is getting anything and you can hit the streets. Nobody gets a raise and we have members who have been waiting for a collective agreement for five years. This is entirely unacceptable." "The members of our ten locals have said enough is enough. They want to hit the streets and we are holding planning sessions right now. The public has really rallied to our side, which is wonderful. They recognize the value of our workers. They also recognize that this Premier is not playing fair. I am very proud of our members. We are fighting to protect all New Brunswickers and the public services." The government continued its provocations by saying it is prepared to pass back-to-work legislation or even use the powers it says it has under the Emergency Measures Act in emergency situations, such as it decreed in response to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. The demands of New Brunswick's public sector workers for conditions they deem acceptable to themselves and essential for the delivery of public services are just. That is the issue here. The demands of the New Brunswick government are unjust. The claim being laid by public sector workers that they must be able to deliver services without becoming impoverished and having to constantly face a serious retention and recruitment problem which decimates the workforce is necessary, one which defends the interests of all the people and of the society as a whole.
This article was published in Article Link:   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
The
Canadian Union of Public Employees -- New Brunswick, (CUPE NB)
announced around 5:00 am this morning that strike action by members of
10 locals is beginning today. Picket lines have been set up in various
locations across the province starting at 6:00 am The union will
provide more information later today as events unfold. 