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Public-sector workers join forces to fight 'peanuts' for wages

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Replying toand  47 others
Methinks it must have rotted a lot of union socks that Mr Higgs found lots of money for his consultant buddies N'esy Pas?




https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blaine-higgs-outside-consultants-logan-youden-hurley-1.5089465


 #nbpoli #cdnpoli  

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nursing-home-dispute-18-unions-no-contracts-1.5093435


Public-sector workers join forces to fight 'peanuts' for wages




107 Comments



David R. Amos
Content disabled
Methinks it must have rotted a lot of union socks that Mr Higgs found lots of money for his consultant buddies N'esy Pas?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blaine-higgs-outside-consultants-logan-youden-hurley-1.5089465
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to @David R. Amos: Too late I already tweeted it











Harold Benson
Lets get the vote on the budget done, failed, and have a new election.


David R. Amos 
Reply to @Harold Benson: Methinks they already voted and if so Higgs is in like Flynn for another year thanks to his PANB buddies N'esy Pas? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jodi Dinan
the median wage in NB is$59,347. none of these people are close to that in fact about 20 thousand less than the median wage which by the way NB has the lowest median wage in Canada , and yes i get we have no money but this province has had no money for decades how long do you expect these people to do their part by taking less than the cost of living for decades. they work in conditions the private sector will never have to deal with. and i would argue if you stopped corporate welfare in this province we would have more than enough to give them a reasonable wage increase and start to pay down debt . and the extra money in their pockets will do more for the local economy than any corporate welfare will ever do because that money will be spent here. 
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to @Jodi Dinan: "the median wage in NB is$59,347"

Dream on
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Marc Martin
 *On Monday, Premier Blaine Higgs asked for a horn after being confronted by protesters outside a Progressive Conservative Party fundraising event at Chateau Saint John* Tottally disrespecting all the union members, this is what you get when you vote for a CoRperative supporter PANB also support the CoRservatives, next election people should remember who they voted for...
 
 
David R. Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Marc Martin: Cry me a river
 
 
David R. Amos
Reply to @David R. Amos: Methinks its interesting that he can say it to me N'esy Pas? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alex Forbes
Unions have outlived their purpose. They only serve to raise costs and therefore prices, making life more expensive.
 
 
David R. Amos 
Reply to @Alex Forbes: "Unions have outlived their purpose"

YUP
 
 
Alex Forbes
Go to the private sector. Think you would get more?
 
 
Marc Martin
Reply to @Alex Forbes: Someone is jealous..
 
 
Johnny Horton
Reply to @Marc Martin:

Try angry thst our private sector wages goes to pay for ridiculous civil servant benefits, we live just fine without all the perks,
 
 
David R. Amos  
Reply to @Marc Martin: Oh my my 
 
 
Johnny Horton
According to most economists, we are months away from the next global recession. So how’s government going to pay for this 20% raise then?!
 
 
Marc Martin
Reply to @Johnny Horton: Recession arrive every 10 years..We survived the last one no ?
   
 
David R. Amos  
Reply to @Marc Martin: You did fine because you have a government job 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Danny Debdee
Don’t forget NB Power employees are working without a contract too, those boys need a raise, big time!
 
 
David R. Amos   
Reply to @Danny Debdee: Methinks thou doth jest too much N'esy Pas? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
David Webb
All those out there in the real world that get 18 paid sick days per year, raise your hand. I worked for 40 years and with most employers you were considered fortunate if you got any more than 3, five was the best I had ever seen. Let's see the union/government lay out what the total compensation package is for these folks. Sick time, vacation time, stat days, personal days, family days, pensions, health care premiums and benefits, etc.


Marc Martin
Reply to @David Webb: 18 sick days ? per year ? Where do you get these information this is hilarious, I work for the Federal gov. and we don't even have 18 days lol. *stat days, personal days, family days, pensions, health care premiums and benefits, etc.. * These are standard in most private industries lol, are you on Welfare ?
 
 
Michel Jones
Reply to @Marc Martin: Check the local contracts, they are online... David Webb is right.
 
 
David R. Amos   
Reply to @Michel Jones: Yup



June Arnott
There is no water left in the stone.

(We are bankrupt, more taxes?)


Marc Martin 
Reply to @June Arnott: Higgs and his boss K. Austin is who you voted for, aren't they the miracle people ?
 
 
Michel Jones
Reply to @Marc Martin: Federal employee!! How many sick days and other perks do you have ?
 
 
David R. Amos    
Content disabled
Reply to @Michel Jones: FYI He is trolling you
 
 
David R. Amos    
Reply to @Michel Jones: I tried to tell you

Public-sector workers join forces to fight 'peanuts' for wages

 

Other public-sector workers join nursing home employees in their fight with the Higgs government

On Monday, Premier Blaine Higgs asked for a horn after being confronted by protesters outside a Progressive Conservative Party fundraising event at Chateau Saint John. (Graham Thompson/CBC)



As nursing home workers continue to take their labour dispute public, making noise across the province, more and more public-sector workers are joining them in their fight for better wages.

It's been one month since close to 4,000 unionized nursing home employees in the non-profit sector voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.

With a court order preventing them from following through, and the government's repeated refusal to go to binding arbitration, tensions with elected officials have been rising, with confrontations between frustrated workers and Premier Blaine Higgs becoming a frequent occurrence.
Other public-sector employees have been joining the protests too, including engineers, school bus drivers and social workers.

Though the nursing home workers are the most advanced in the bargaining process — now without a contract for 30 months — several other unions are seeking to renew collective agreements of their own.

"We are also at the table, so we figure what's happening to you guys is going to happen to us," Maria Richard, vice-president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union said at a rally last month outside the Fredericton courts.

Registered nurse Maria Richard showed her support to the nursing home workers at a rally in Fredericton last month. The New Brunswick Nurses Union is also at the bargaining table. (CBC)
 
 

Nursing home workers 'attacked'


Paula Doucet, president of the nurses union, said it was important to show support for the nursing home workers.

"There was an attack on the fair bargaining process," she said, referring to the government's resort to court action to bar workers from striking.

"An attack to one is an attack to all — regardless of your union affiliation, your color, your stripe ... we're all in this together," she said.
 
Comments the premier made at a rally to a licensed practical nurse, about Alberta being the place to find better wages, didn't go over well with workers. (CBC)
 
 
 
The nurses' contracts expired last December. Their union represents 6,900 registered nurses and nurse practitioners in the public sector.

Doucet said they are keeping a close eye on the nursing home labour dispute, as she believes registered nurses could find themselves in a similar standoff with the Higgs government.

'Taking a stand'


Ambulance workers are another group who have been showing up regularly at rallies.

And while nursing home employees may have turned heads with demands for a 20 per cent raise over four years, others are already making clear they plan to follow suit.

"We've been pushed to the point in my opinion," said Joe Cormier, a paramedic from Hampton and local secretary with the union representing paramedics and dispatchers.

"There's just no more money in the regular New Brunswickers' homes. We are having trouble affording groceries, we are having trouble affording to pay our power bills."

Joe Cormier said paramedics and dispatchers 'will absolutely' turn down a one per cent pay increase if that is what they are offered by the Higgs government. (CBC)
 
 
 
When asked why now, Cormier said he believes workers have been patient, believing earlier promises that bigger raises would come in later negotiations.

The Higgs government's argument for refusing to give nursing home workers more than a one per cent annual raise is that that's been the standard all other public-sector workers have accepted for years.

"The nursing home workers are the first ones making that stand," said Cormier. "To say you know what enough is enough. We've received these peanuts long enough."

Nursing home workers, who include licensed practical nurses, resident attendants and dietary and laundry workers, make between $18 and $24 an hour, depending on their job.

'Slipping standards of living'


According to Geoff Martin, a political science professor at Mount Allison University in Sackville, this has been a long time coming.

"I think people are feeling the slipping standards of living," he said.

He believes after years of cutbacks in the province, things have reached a critical point.

Political science professor Geoff Martin said there is only so much the government can cut before it hits bone. (CBC)
 
 
 
"At some point you hit bone," said Martin.

"When you're cutting and cutting and cutting — and with an aging population, I think people working in the health care system, the nursing home sector, they can see what's going to happen in the next five, 10, 15 years, and they can't imagine the rest of their career under these circumstances."

Martin said the question will be whether the Higgs government will follow through with its agenda or decide to budge if public opinion sways in favour of the unionized workers.

One per cent


During last month's budget, it was announced the New Brunswick government set money aside for pay increases for 18 public-sector unions whose contracts have expired or are about to.
There are 40,000 workers in the public sector spread over 25 unions and representing about 10 per cent of the province's labour force.

When CBC inquired about the amount that had been set aside, Vicky Deschenes, Treasury Board spokesperson, said no fixed amount had been budgeted specifically for union bargaining, as the funding will depend on the actual agreements signed.

For the past decade, New Brunswick has been handing out raises of one per cent a year. For the 4,100 nursing home workers at the bargaining table, that would represent about $1.43 million.


Bargaining UnitCollective Agreement Expired/ExpiresUnion
Group III nursesDec. '18NBNU
Nurses managers and supervisors Dec. '18NBNU
Clerical, stenographic & office equipment operation, institutional services, patient services June '19CUPE
Court stenographers Sept. '16CUPE
General labour and trades, part I Dec. '17CUPE
General labour, trades and services, part II March '19CUPE
Institutional services and care June '17CUPE
Rehabilitation and therapy, recreation and culture program officer August '17CUPE
Steno, typing, clerical, regulatory and office equipment operation Feb. '18CUPE
Administrative assistants, clerical and regulatory, office, data processing and duplicating equipment operation March '19NBU
Education (non-instructional) July '17NBU
Medical science professionals March '19NBU
Professional support June '18NBU
Resource services April '18NBU
Specialized health care professionals March '19NBU
Agriculture, veterinary and engineering, land surveying and architecture May '19PIPSC
Crown prosecutors Sept. '18PIPSC
School business officials Sept. '19PIPSC
Source: GNB

*The nursing home workers' employer is the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes.

Although the association is funded by the province, the nursing home workers are not counted as one of the 25 bargaining units the province deals directly with. Their contract expired in September 2016.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices


















 

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