CUPE 1190 members vote overwhelmingly to strike over wages, benefits

Members of CUPE 1190 have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike.

The local represents 2,200 general labour and trades workers in the provincial public service. The results follow two days of voting across the province, setting the stage for a potential walkout next month.

A strike at the peak of the tourist season could be especially vexing for the government, since many of the workers are employed in provincial parks.

Turnout was high, with about 1,700 members casting a ballot, more than three quarters of the membership. Of that number, 84 per cent voted to strike.

The NB Media Co-op has reached out to the Finance and Treasury Board and Office of the Premier for comment.

Major issues include wages and benefits for casual employees, who represent roughly one third of the local’s membership.

“They’re only getting enough hours to apply for unemployment insurance,” said union local president Jonathan Guimond. “So for them to still be in support of having a work stoppage, we definitely respect that.”

Members work in eight provincial government departments, mostly the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) and the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture. Their ranks are diverse, including machinists, labourers, plumbers, electricians, artisans, security officers, and mechanics, among various other classifications.

Guimond said general labourers in CUPE 1190 are mostly casual employees who receive practically no benefits, including time off in the event of the death of a family member. Casual workers receive “no bereavement, no sick leave, no medical benefits,” said Guimond, who worked as an equipment operator with DTI for 20 years.

General labourers, such as flaggers and asphalt rakers, are also among the lowest paid workers in the provincial public service, currently earning about $20.60 per hour, he said. About two thirds of the membership earns less than $26 per hour, according to CUPE.

Other issues include allowances for boots and the tool required for the job. Some of those allowances haven’t increased in 15 years, according to Guimond.

Wages are central to the dispute, he said, with certain municipal government and private sector workers making between $5 and $7 more per hour than members of CUPE 1190, resulting in problems of retention and recruitment.

Members have been working without a contract for a year-and-a-half. The last collective agreement expired in December 2022, just as the rate of inflation peaked at 6.1 per cent.

The union wants a flat increase of $7.25 per hour over three years, a period that would end in 2025 because of the expired contract. When the government refused a reduced offer involving an increase of $6 over four years, the union filed for a deadlock on June 28.

The most recent offer from the government works out to an increase of 12 per cent over four years, according to Guimond. He said that would leave the lowest earner with an increase of $2.30 per hour at the end of 2026.

The union plans to go through the essential services designation process in the coming weeks, which would put the workers in a legal strike position.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).