By John Chilibeck | The Daily Gleaner
Hundreds of unionized tradespeople and labourers who work for New Brunswick’s provincial government have voted in favour of a new contract.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees announced on Wednesday that more than 95 per cent of the 1,246 members of CUPE local 1190 who voted the day before accepted the collective agreement hammered out by labour leaders and the Holt Liberal government.
It includes a key plank that union organizers had fought for – a $5 flat rate general economic wage adjustment over the four years of the contract for all members.
Such flat-dollar amounts, rather than percentage hikes, help the bottom earners more than top earners.
As many as 2,200 members were eligible to vote in 15 locations across the province. The final tally means that slightly more than half of the total membership wanted the new contract.
“Despite bad weather affecting participation in most regions, the members’ choice is clear,” said a note posted by the CUPE 1190’s bargaining team and the union’s provincial executive. “We are proud that this deal improves wages above inflation, contains no concessions, and improves worker recognition.”
The new 4-year contract covers Dec. 16, 2022, when the old contract expired, to Dec. 15, 2026. Terms of such deals are not typically released publicly until both sides ratify and sign them.
But the note said that “many monetary gains on benefits/premiums were made, many of which had not been improved in over 20 years. This includes items such as boot and tool allowances, and improvements to vacation entitlement for all members, including casuals.”
The local represents a broad range of government employees, including security officers, bridge workers, carpenters, painters, equipment operators, construction workers, welders, park maintenance supervisors, machinists, mechanics, plumbers and electricians, just to name a few.
It includes full-time and casual workers.
Jonathan Guimond, the local’s president, told Brunswick News in late January he was relieved the two sides came up with an agreement after a week of bargaining that extended late into the night and early morning on some days.
“We didn’t get exactly what we wanted, but that’s part of the art of negotiation,” he said at the time.
Their last five-year contract expired just when inflation was exploding, in 2022. New Brunswick saw the highest rate of inflation in the country that year, more than seven per cent, as the cost of groceries and housing soared. Negotiations went on for 26 months.
The workers overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike last July, but union leaders waited until after the provincial election in October to see if it could resume negotiations with a new government.
The previous Blaine Higgs Progressive Conservative government butted heads with CUPE, accusing labour leaders of being out of touch with their own members and taxpayers. It had negotiated with the union off and on for almost two years over the 1190 contract.
The workers’ last contract expired Dec. 15, 2022, with the lowest earners, general labourers, taking home $20.67 an hour and the highest – highway, bridge and ferry supervisors – earning $33.33 an hour.
CUPE began bargaining with the new Holt Liberal government on Jan. 22.
Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy said last month he was pleased with the outcome.
“We value the work of all our employees and are pleased they will receive the agreement for ratification in the coming weeks.”
