The New Brunswick legislature in Fredericton. (Image: Brad Perry)
The Higgs government has reintroduced changes to the Industrial Relations Act requiring arbitrators to consider specific criteria in contract decisions involving police and firefighters.
The province’s largest municipalities including Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton have said this is a major cost issue for them.
Labour Minister Trevor Holder noted how wages and awards determined through arbitration are higher compared to the free collective bargaining process.
The new amendments clarify language around a local government’s ability to pay and state any comparisons be limited to municipalities within New Brunswick or at least the Atlantic Provinces.
Holder says concerns from municipalities and unions were both considered.
The amendments were introduced during the last session but a provincial election was called and the legislation died on the order paper.
The changes won’t take away the right to free collective bargaining or to binding arbitration but clarify criteria considered during that process.
Binding arbitration is a last attempt to find a resolution once all the other steps have been taken to reach a settlement.
The City of Moncton formally approved a new contract with its firefighters this week – without using arbitration.
