Fifty days ago, CUPE New Brunswick provided an ultimatum to the Premier to settle collective agreements with workers.
During a news conference earlier today, President Stephen Drost said there has been little to no progress, “We are halfway through a 100 day campaign. We had put the government on notice that we have unresolved contracts for two and three years. Today marks the 50th day, and there has been little or no movement.”
Drost says around 22, 000 workers will be in a strike positions on Labour Day, if no headway is made.
“I have been in touch with the locals who have declared deadlocks and they have not had any meetings with the Premier since this 100 day notice was given,” Drost says.
He says he met with Higgs along with two others around two weeks ago, “The Premier didn’t really appear to take us serious. There was a lot of very light talk. He said maybe sometime in the future we could have a round of marathon of bargaining. There were no specifics around what that would really mean. There has been little to no progress made with no commitment from the Premier and his Conservative MLA’s to address the labour crisis. ”
He says these workers are ready to hold a strike vote in September if nothing is done, “The last thing these workers want to do is go out on strike. They are being forced into this position because we have had a very unreasonable Premier and cabinet ministers who refuse to treat these people fairly, with respect and negotiate properly.”
We contacted the provincial government for a response and received the following statement from Melanie Sivret, the director of communications with the Department of Finance and Treasury Board:
“Premier Blaine Higgs has suggested the province and the various CUPE locals meet in late July or early August, which is a sign that the provincial government is open to further talks with CUPE.
The two recent agreements with the nurses union are also proof that the provincial government is a willing partner in negotiations.
The Government of New Brunswick respects the collective bargaining process and remains hopeful that the parties can reach a negotiated agreement that recognizes our ongoing challenges.
In the event of a strike, there are workers that are designated as essential in all CUPE units to ensure the health and safety of the public.
The province is facing significant challenges, which have been amplified by the ongoing economic and fiscal impact of COVID-19.
The province must ensure all collective agreements across government are fair for the employees and New Brunswick taxpayers.”