Labour Day is a time to reflect on the many contributions of working people. It’s a time to celebrate the struggles of the past and prepare for those ahead.  

We wish to give thanks and recognize the exceptional work done by front-line workers. In the last 12 months, you, CUPE members, stood on the picket lines across the province to protect the public services New Brunswickers need and rely on.

On this Labour Day, we celebrate and embrace your solidarity which is the backbone of working-class action. It is with this spirit of unity among all workers that we must keep on fighting for good jobs, strengthen the worker’s movement and workers’ power.

This year, we have heard so many heartbreaking and concerning examples of staff shortages. The root cause of this – the shortage of good jobs in both the private and the public sector – is what we must tackle. It is our systems that are failing us, not the frontline workers: we are committed to protecting our public services for all New Brunswickers.

Workers can no longer settle for the ongoing exploitation and poor working conditions that they were dealing with before the COVID-19 pandemic.

That is why CUPE is pushing to expand union rights to all workers in our province. Organizing, joining a union and fighting for better jobs, better protections and benefits, is the best way to guarantee workers have to make real change happen. 

This Labour Day, we recommit to building worker-to-worker solidarity. Let’s celebrate the extraordinary things that everyday people can accomplish when we combine our efforts and work together toward common goals. Collective action works.

On behalf of the 28 000 members of CUPE NB, we wish you and your family a safe and happy Labour Day.

In solidarity,

The CUPE NB Executive

Link to Labour Day events in your region: https://nb.cupe.ca/event/nb-labour-day-events/?instance_id=139