Sharon Teare is president of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions. (Image: CUPENB/Twitter)
Tensions continue to rise between nursing home workers, union reps, and the government, after a release last night from Minister Dorothy Shephard said bargaining talks had reached an “impasse.”
Sharon Teare, president of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions, says that’s not the case.
Teare says were not under the impression talks had stalled at all, and neither were the mediators at the discussion. She also says the release was sent out while they were still sitting at the table.
“We were saddened to read that Dorothy Shephard felt that the talks had reached an impasse. The unfortunate part is that we were still at the table at five after six last night, and at no time did we say or feel that they have reached an impasse,” she said in an interview.
Teare also says reps were looking forward to meeting with Premier Blaine Higgs today to discuss the allegations in the release, but that did not happen.
“We wanted answers, we wanted answers to why it is that you felt that we were at an impasse when the mediators weren’t in that same mindset, and neither were we,” she said.
“Instead of talking, he walks away and shuts the door.”
Negotiation meetings have now been put on hold, and Teare says their pleas continue to go unheard.
“The one thing that I did hear premier Higgs say is that we said we were done. We did not say we were done, and I do not and will not stand by and allow lies to be told,” she said.
Teare says this kind of behaviour is a “stalling tactic,” and just further shows the “disrespect they have for the workers.”
She continues to say that they will not stop until their voice is heard.
