Fourth day of CUPE New Brunswick strike: workers continue picket, Labour Board rules against government

The labour conflict continued across the province on Monday, with striking workers on pickets since Friday. Speculation is mounting that Premier Higgs will introduce back-to-work legislation when the Legislature resumes on Tuesday, although on Monday the premier was downplaying the possibility.

The war of words is escalating, with the government releasing incorrect information and Irving’s Brunswick News papers publishing numerous editorials and articles blaming CUPE for the strike. In response, CUPE published a “fact vs. fiction” sheet to correct comments made by the Premier.

CUPE NB workers walked off the job early on Friday, Oct. 29, forcing the closure of schools across the province. Union president Steve Drost said the government forced the strike following years of austerity politics and that workers are angry and fed up. Ten CUPE locals voted 94 per cent in favour of strike action, and CUPE finally called the strike after government negotiators walked away the night of Tuesday, Oct. 26 from a last-minute bargaining round.

On Sunday, the Higgs government locked out members of CUPE 1253 and 2745, locals representing a range of education workers from educational assistants to custodians and bus drivers.

Also on Sunday, the government laid off all the CUPE educational workers previously deemed essential. CUPE local 2745 immediately made a complaint to the Labour Board. On Monday afternoon, the union made its case and at 8 pm the Labour Board ruled against the government (see main photo, statement by CUPE 2745 president Theresa McAllister).

The lock-out was the government’s attempt to gain some control over the situation. According to multiple media reports, New Brunswickers have been expressing their unhappiness to the government about the labour dispute and the disruption it is causing. Classes moved online on Monday, although CBC reported that some parents were not participating in the online school plan.

On Monday, picket locations were set up in towns, cities and MPP constituency offices across New Brunswick, in Fredericton, Campbellton, Miramichi, Sussex, Saint John, Woodstock, St. Stephen, Edmundston, Perth, Bathurst, Tracadie, Saint Quentin, Sackville, Shediac, Dalhousie, Grand Falls, Oromocto, Harvey and McAdam, Chipman and Minto, Caraquet, Lamèque, Saint George, Grand Manan, Hampton, Nackawic, Bath, Kedgwick and Quispamsis KV.

Today, Tuesday, November 2, CUPE has organized a solidarity march to the New Brunswick Legislature. The march will begin at 12 noon at two locations: the Fredericton Exhibition Grounds and the Lady Beaverbrook Arena. The march schedule is here.

Susan O’Donnell writes for the NB Media Co-op.

Access all of NB Media Co-op’s coverage of the CUPE strike here.

Read all about the the events leading up to the strike here.