N.B. public sector workers set to strike after contract talks abruptly end
Global News
The union served notice earlier this month that its 22,000 members in 10 locals had voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike to back demands for higher wages.
Thousands of public sector workers in New Brunswick are set to go on strike after CUPE officials say the government abruptly walked away from contract talks Tuesday night.
The union served notice earlier this month that its 22,000 members in 10 locals had voted 94 per cent in favour of a strike to back demands for higher wages.
The union members work in various sectors such as health care, education and public transportation, and CUPE New Brunswick president Steve Drost told a news conference in Fredericton today that a strike is imminent.
He says workers who have been declared essential would ensure safety and security, but a strike would have an impact on all sectors.
Drost says the government was offering annual wage increases of two per cent for five years, while the union’s last offer sought three per cent per year for four years.
Premier Blaine Higgs is holding a news conference later this morning to address the labour negotiations.