The New Brunswick NDP stands with Mackenzie Thomason and Public Sector Workers in saying “YES” to collective job action, organized across the province by CUPE New Brunswick earlier this fall. “The time for talking is over. The government needs to accept the offer CUPE has asked for and give fair compensation to its Public Sector Workers.” Thomason said yesterday. Mackenzie and the NB NDP extend their unwavering support to all workers seeking better pay, stronger benefits, and improved working conditions.
In one form or another, CUPE New Brunswick has been negotiating new contracts for their workers for the past five years. The refusal by Premier Higgs to invest in public services has left workers steadily falling behind. Most recently negotiations broke down between Public Sector Unions and the Premier Higgs this week due to bad faith bargaining on the side of the government.
New Brunswick’s Public Sector Workers are among the lowest paid in Canada, and they deserve the same pay, protections, and benefits enjoyed by public sector employees in other provinces. It is a conscious decision of the current government to ignore that very clear disparity. No worker should have to consider leaving New Brunswick to achieve adequate pay. Frontline workers have struggled through a year and a half long-pandemic, they want and deserve fair compensation.
“The contracts that are negotiated between the New Brunswick Government and our Public Sector Workers must be Inflation Plus Deals. If I were in the room negotiating contracts, I would ensure that the raises we were talking about were on top of the annual cost of living adjustments.” Thomason said earlier today.
The NB NDP will not stand idly by while this Government continues with its austerity measures that force New Brunswickers into a tighter and tighter financial situation. Party leadership will be picketing in solidarity with New Brunswick workers because we recognize that working people need change, and we invite not only our members to contribute their support but all residents
of this province.
In Solidarity.