Saturday 7 September 2024

N.B. government offer would mean smaller increases for lowest-wage earners, union says

 

N.B. government offer would mean smaller increases for lowest-wage earners, union says

CUPE 1190, prepresenting transportation and tourism staff, has been negotiating with province nearly 2 years

A union representing transportation and tourism workers is pushing the province to make an offer based on dollar rather than percentage increases — an approach it has not seen since the 1990s.

That's because CUPE Local 1190 represents lower-wage earners in the public service, according to the union's president Jonathan Guimond, with median wages between $20.67 and $33.33 an hour.

A percentage increase for all members would mean the lowest-wage earners see the smallest increases. The union contends that approach would not bring all members up to speed with the cost of living. 

The province has proposed a 12.5 per cent increase over four years, which Guimond says would amount to an average wage increase of $3. The union is asking for a flat $7 increase for all members. 

However, the last time it received an offer from the province with a flat-dollar increase was during the 1990s, the union said, with the most recent contract using a "hybrid" approach. 

"We need real, flat-rate dollar increases," Guimond said. 

"We have members who regularly attend the food bank, worry about whether they're going to pack a lunch today or put gas in their car to go to work."

Province 'open to' negotiations 

CUPE Local 1190 represents government employees in a diverse number of jobs, including machinists, labourers, school bus and equipment mechanics, welders, heavy-equipment operators, park employees, laundry drivers, bridge workers and provincial ferry operators.

The union held a press conference this week to call on the province to return to the table before the provincial election, set for Oct. 21.

Government spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said in an email the province "remains open to" resuming negotiations. 

"Government, like the vast majority of public sector employers, offers percentage increases to all of its 55,343 employees, given that all employees experience the same increases in the cost of living," Macfarlane said.

He said the government's offer included "a flat dollar component," but did not answer follow-up questions about the amount. 

Parties deadlocked since July

Macfarlane noted the province has also offered retention bonuses based on time served — one per cent for 15 years of service, two per cent for 20 years, and three per cent for 25 years. 

But because many workers in the union are seasonal, Guimond said, it will take nearly double the time for them to achieve those thresholds. 

The parties have been negotiating for 21 months and have been in a deadlock since July. More than 80 per cent of union members have voted in favour of a strike. 

Guimond says union leaders would consider strike action after receiving information from the Labour Board on which employees would be designated as essential.

He noted the Labour Board has not provided a time estimate for that information. 

A man in a suit and tie sits facing a camera in a TV studio.  J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick, says it's in the premier's best interest to resolve the dispute ahead of the election. (CBC)

However, with a provincial election call imminent, University of New Brunswick political scientist J.P. Lewis says it's in Premier Blaine Higgs's best interest to resolve the dispute before the campaign period.

"The key thing here for Higgs's brand is, since he came in as leader of the Tories and even before that when he was finance minister, he really preached the issue of, you know, just getting things done," Lewis said. 

"These sorts of unresolved issues heading into a campaign aren't great for an incumbent government of six years."

The province has reached tentative agreements with six unions in the public service since June, including those representing nurses, social workers, pharmacists and agricultural staff.

While Guimond congratulated those unions, he believes representing lower wage earners makes it more difficult for unions like CUPE 1190 to accept a contract.

He said more than one third of the union's membership make less than the Human Development Council's average living wage in New Brunswick for 2023. 

The council's report put the hourly living wage at $24.50 in Fredericton, $23.35 in Saint John and $22.75 in Moncton.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Savannah Awde is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick. You can contact her with story ideas at savannah.awde@cbc.ca.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
10 Comments
 
 
David Amos
"J.P. Lewis, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick, says it's in the premier's best interest to resolve the dispute ahead of the election."

Too Too Funny

 
 
MR Cain  
The wage increase should be inversely applied with a higher per cent offered to the lowest wage earner. Another way is to drop the lowest classification increment and add a new one to the top. 
 
 
 
Lou Bell 
Most unions realize they'll be left out in the cold by the liberals who will let contracts expire like in their last term , and leave it for others . Higgs has negotiated deals twice for many / most unions during his term and they've been quite satisfied with the results 
 
John Montgomery 
Reply to Lou Bell 
I'd rather have an expired contract than one that barely gives me enough to live on.
 
 
 
Dan Lee
its hard to keep up when hydro wants a big increase.......property tax bills are wayy higher........food costs are crazy...... rents are not fordable...... your pay check can only be split so many ways..... people need a living wage........seniors need a living pension and not deciding which bill to pay this month.........the hand outs to the rich must stop and money diverted to its people 
 
 
 
MR Cain  
Another issue left over to be resolved by the next government. What a waste this government has been for the past 6 years. 
 
Lou Bell 
Reply to MR Cain 
Premier Higgs was left with a pile of unsettled contracts by the last Liberal government . And with most unions he's settled and sined contracts TWICE ! And they've been very happy with their settlements . One just need remember how the liberals and their enabled public media tried getting their hands on the pensions of the public employees , money that those very employees owned and the Liberals had no authority to get their paws on in any way . And those same employees have stated they're very happy with their pensions, and especially the returns they're getting on them . 
 
Lou Bell 
Reply to MR Cain
Actually , anyone paying attention at all would know there were either 15 or 16 unresolved union contracts left by the Liberals in their last term . In fact , many of those unions have since had even their next contracts resolved under Higgs . There have been several unions who have had new contracts signed over the last year . And all the while billions paid down on our debt , hundreds of healthcare workers put in training who've already started graduating ! Remember the millions the liberals gave to 2 NB Universities for extra nursing seats and of which we got not even one , al because of not doing their due diligence and followup ? That's the kind of government we had with the liberals and we never ever need again ! 
 
 
 
Daniel Franklin 
All wages need to be increased for every single person. After 2-3 back-to-back-to-back years of double digit inflation, wages have not kept up. As an example, if you made $50k in 2019, $50k is the new $35k in today's world.
 
Lou Bell 
Reply to Daniel Franklin 
You do realize the people who you demand pay for that huge increase are all those who do NOT work for the government and who are the ones who you're demanding pay that large increase ! Where do you think that money is coming from ??? 
 
Fred Dee 
Reply to Daniel Franklin
true... but then all costs go up, and taxes blow up!!!!


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