Nursing Home Workers Protest NBANH’s Concession Demands

This Thursday, May 10, more than 200 CUPE members protested in front of the Delta Hotel in downtown Fredericton where the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes (NBANH) were holding their Annual General Meeting.

The Council of New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions (NBCNHU), which represents more than 4000 CUPE members across New Brunswick, is protesting the inflexibility of the NBANH and is asking them to withdraw their demands for concessions in the collective agreement negociations.

“The employer insists on concessions and for us there, is no question of negotiating backwards. As long as they do not remove these concessions, we will continue to increase the pressure,” said Wayne Brown, president of the NBCNHU.

The conciliation is scheduled for the end of the month. Despite NBCNHU’s April 26 demonstration, the employer’s refusal to move forward with the negotiations is a concern to union members that conciliation will not be of much use.

“We hope that after this second mobilization, the employers will hear the workers. Negotiations can move forward if they withdraw their demands for concessions. If they don’t want to hear anything, they’re forcing us to strike,” says Wayne Brown, president of NBCNHU.

The NBCNHU represents more than 4000 members working in 45 government funded nursing homes throughout New Brunswick. They represent resident attendants, Licensed Practical Nurses, but also maintenance, housekeeping, activity, dietary, laundry and clerical staff.

 

Moncton Water Belongs To Public

Twenty years ago this month, the City of Moncton signed a deal with a for-profit corporation to build, finance and operate our new drinking water treatment plant. No-one disputes that there was an urgent need to improve our city’s water quality. Funding from federal and provincial sources wasn’t flowing, so Council entered into a complex arrangement that privatized the day-to-day operations of our drinking water.

This public-private partnership (P3) deal was struck with Veolia, a French multinational corporation involved in water privatization around the globe. The deal cost at least $8.5 million more than a public project in expensive private borrowing costs alone.

Times have changed.

Today, the plant is built and paid for, and we all enjoy high-quality water. The P3 contract with Veolia expires in December 2019. This gives Moncton the opportunity to take back control and daily operation of this vital public service.

Instead of seizing the opportunity, the City is going down the same expensive path of privatized operation. Earlier this month, the City started the process of looking for corporations to bid on a contract to run and maintain our drinking water treatment plant for the next 15 years. The “Request for Qualifications” closes this Friday, on May 4th, and is the first step in signing a new contract with a for-profit operator. But it’s not too late to change direction.

We strongly urge the City to develop a plan to bring operations and maintenance in house, and to have a full public debate about the costs and consequences of continuing to contract out.

City council must carefully study a public option and the City must develop a fully costed, unbiased comparison of in-house and privatized operation and maintenance costs. Moncton citizens should have a right to see all options, including one that can ensure that the City’s hands aren’t tied by a long-term contract with a for-profit corporation like Veolia. Public operation means more flexibility and control, this will let the City build its internal expertise.

Moncton residents have already paid for the water treatment plant and it belongs to the City. Let’s take the next step and operate the plant ourselves. The 2016 Columbia Institute study Back in House looks at municipalities in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia that have ended for-profit water or wastewater operation contracts. In all cases, cost savings were a main factor, and one municipality ensured a seamless transition by hiring the existing employees onto city staff.

Based on the experience of other communities in Canada and around the world, bringing our water services into the City’s operations will save money and enhance water quality. The vast majority of water and wastewater systems in Canada are fully public. Going “in house” is also one of the best ways to help our local economy. Residents and water consumers in the private and public sector all have an interest in having predictable and affordable water rates.

In the early 2000s, Moncton residents successfully campaigned to stop privatization of our entire water delivery system. This saved the City (and all residents) money and ensured public control of this critical infrastructure. More recently, in 2015, the Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission rejected a P3 to upgrade our wastewater treatment plant, opting to keep sewage treatment fully public.

The tri-community cooperation agreement between Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe for water supply means all three communities could reap the benefits of a 100% publicly controlled and operated facility. It’s the best way to ensure quality, real cost savings and lower rates.

Water is an essential public service and a fundamental human right. There’s no room for profit in delivering this service. We hope Mayor Arnold and city councilors slow down and do their due diligence, instead of repeating the same mistakes of past council. The water plant serves us well. We own it, now let’s run it too.

-Leo Melanson

Leo Melanson is president of CUPE Local 51, which represents the City of Moncton’s outside workers

 

 

 

Proposed Health and Safety Regulations is Good News

Fredericton – On April 28th, the Day of Mourning, the New Brunswick Government announced its proposed regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, to deal with workplace violence and harassment.

“This announcement is great news, not just for CUPE members but for all workers in the province. CUPE Locals and our members have been pushing for updated language in Health and Safety for many years. I hope the proposed regulations will be in force soon,” said Daniel Légère, President of CUPE NB.

The proposed regulatory changes are the product of a recently created Government-Labour Steering Committee. They clearly define the types of violence and harassment, have provisions on training and puts obligations on employers to enforce a relevant code of practice.

“We hope that everyone – workers and employers – understand how we need to do better in terms of training and internal policies to make our workplaces better,” said Légère.

 

Nursing Home Workers Protest Employers

Fredericton – This Thursday, over 300 CUPE members rallied in front of the provincial office of the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes office (NBANH), the organization negotiating for the majority of nursing home employers in New Brunswick.

The NB Council of Nursing Homes Union, which represents 4000 CUPE members working in 45 nursing homes across New Brunswick, is protesting the inflexibility of the NBANH which led to breakdown in bargaining talks with the Union Council.

“The employer is still demanding concessions and wants to create a two-tier employment system. This is unacceptable. If they don’t take this off the conciliation table, a strike is unavoidable,” said Wayne Brown, President of the NBCNHU.

“CUPE members have adopted a National Policy on fighting concessions and two-tier agreements. This means we are ready to put the whole weight of CUPE National behind the nursing home workers. CUPE will bargain forward, not backwards,” said Mark Hancock, CUPE National President.

CUPE members in nursing homes agree the employer’s proposal will not solve the ongoing understaffing and workload problems in nursing homes.

“Our union’s general meeting is coming up in May – we have now added strike preparation and education sessions for all members on the agenda,” said Roland Cormier, Vice-President of the NBCNHU.

Contract talks between the Union and the Employer broke down on March 23rd. A conciliator has been appointed to meet with both parties on the last week of May.

The NBCNHU represents more than 4000 members working in 45 government funded nursing homes throughout New Brunswick. They represent resident attendants, Licensed Practical Nurses, but also maintenance, housekeeping, activity, dietary, laundry and clerical staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUPE NB 55th Annual Convention – Labour Minister LePage to address delegates

Fredericton – Tuesday, over 330 public employees and elected union leaders from all sectors will convene to Fredericton for CUPE NB’s 55th Annual Convention, titled  “Bargaining Forward in Solidarity”.

The Convention’s theme reiterates last month’s “Breaking The Mandate – Bargaining Forward” conference, which highlighted the importance of coordinated bargaining in order to increase worker’s wages in our province.

Multiple guest and speakers are expected at this Convention, including:

  • Mark Hancock, CUPE National President;
  • Charles Fleury,  CUPE National Secretary Treasurer;
  • Jennifer McKenzie, NB NDP leader;
  • New Brunswick’s Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister, Gilles LePage.

“Workers across the province have an important role to play in the success of our beautiful province. They keep our hospitals, schools and stores running – and this, in turn, helps grow the economy, strengthen education and improve health care,” said Gilles LePage, Minister of Postsecondary Education, Training and Labour for the Government of New Brunswick.

CUPE NB notes that this is the first time since Richard Hatfield was Premier that a Labour Minister will speak at an annual convention.

“This is a welcome change,” says Daniel Légère, CUPE NB President. “Our Minister will have a chance to meet our members, who come from so many sectors. I am sure they will remind him of how their wages do help our communities and our economy grow,” said Légère.

CUPE NB’s four day convention is expected to bring in over $420,000.00 in direct revenues to the Fredericton community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submission: Domestic Violence Leave

Everyone deserves to work in a safer environment, free from violence, and to be supported when incidents happen.

The Government of New Brunswick is currently seeking input regarding potential leave provisions for persons subjected to domestic, intimate partner or sexual violence. These provisions would require amendments to NB’s Employment Standards Act, allowing every worker in NB to access them.

CUPE NB has submitted the following recommendations:

  • 10 days of paid leave, followed by 17 weeks of unpaid leave
  • Employers’ right to request proof or verification should be limited
  • There should be a requirement to maintain the confidentiality of survivors taking leave

Submissions are accepted until April 20th, 2018, and can be sent to: labour-travail@gnb.ca.

Find our submission in its entirety below:

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Home Care Workers Protest the Canadian Red Cross

Saint John – On March 29th, over 200 workers and supporters rallied at the Canadian Red Cross provincial headquarters in Saint John, New Brunswick. CUPE Local 4598, which represents 136 Canadian Red Cross home support workers in NB, are denouncing their employer’s immobility at the bargaining table.

On April 1st, just after the Easter weekend, the home care employees begin a ninth year without a collective agreement.

“The employer needs to bring real wage increases to the table. If they can’t do that, after nine years, they should admit it to the public,” saidThérèse Duguay, President of the Local 4598.

Duguay has been working for the Red Cross for over 15 years, but only makes $13.65 per hour.

“The Canadian Red Cross has annual operating revenues of over 300 million dollars, yet they can’t find a way to lift their own workers out of poverty?” asked Duguay.

“As stated in Ontario’s “Sunshine List”, Red Cross’s CEO, Conrad Sauvé, made $332,000 this year. Meanwhile, seniors and vulnerable people depend on us, and we can’t make ends meet. No guaranteed hours and a low pay hurts us and our families. It means high worker turnover and dissatisfaction – that hurts everyone,” she added.

“The whole sector of home care in our province is a sad mess. The province needs to step up to make things right for seniors and workers,”said Daniel Légère, President of CUPE NB.  “That why we have started the “Who Cares?” campaign for community care workers, because this government needs to intervene immediately for workers and clients,” added Légère.

At the rally, Daniel Légère reiterated his challenge to all political parties to include fully publicly managed community care services in NB in their electoral platform.

Public and Private Sector Pay: Why Workers Need to “Break the Mandate”

On Monday, March 19th, the Daily Gleaner published an editorial misrepresenting the position of CUPE members and attacking the right of public sector unions to exist.

Why is the Daily Gleaner so opposed to the betterment of the working conditions in this province? Painting ordinary CUPE members – our plow operators, licensed practical nurses, educational assistants, municipal workers, nursing-home caregivers that are delivering essential services – as “fat cats” is as false as it is ridiculous.

As president of the CUPE NB Division, I must correct the numerous inaccuracies written by your editor.

At last week’s Breaking the Mandate Conference, CUPE has not called for “mass strikes”, “bumping up pay hikes to two per cent per year” nor did we call for members to “take advantage of the government through labour stoppages”.

We did, however, call for better wages for all, and that includes public sector workers.

In general, the Canadian economy has been growing strongly, but wages haven’t. The failure of wages to rise more strongly is not a mystery. The richest one percent are the ones reaping all the benefits from this growth, are paying less taxes while ordinary workers are left out with declining purchasing power. Public sector wage freezes, cuts and austerity have reduced overall wage growth. Wage settlements for public sector workers have increased by less than private sector workers for seven of the last eight years, and by less than inflation for five of the last eight years.

The reason is simple: the cost of living is rising at an increasingly rapid pace, and public-sector pay grew at a historically slow pace due to Liberals’ and Conservatives’ wage restraint mandates. This has had direct economic repercussions: it bogged down our provincial recovery from the “Great Recession” of 2008 at the very moment where it needed stimulus, not austerity.

This slow pace is clear when you adjust wages to inflation, for real dollar figures. In the last 10 years, many CUPE members have made little progress:

  • Nursing home resident attendants’ wages have only increased by an average of 1.2% per year, since 2008.
  • Licensed practical nurses’ wages only grew 0.8% per year since 2008.
  • School bus drivers’ wages have actually decreased by 0.9% since 2008.

Meanwhile, income (calculated on an hourly basis) of the top 100 highest-paid CEOs in Canada, has shot up 300% just over the last year. The average worker, public or private, is not benefiting from the economic recovery. That’s why for the many, the words “economic recovery” rings hollow. As the middle class is shrinking, the upper class is making record profits.

Contrary to the Daily Gleaner editor, CUPE NB believes public AND private sector wages should increase. Inciting one group of workers to push to lower the pay of the other is counterproductive and it’s an old divide and conquer technique that unions have fought against since their beginnings.

As the gap between rich and poor keeps growing, public and private unions are as – if not more – important than ever since the 1970s. People want to participate in determining their wages and working conditions, they want fairness in their workplace. This necessarily means more workplace democracy, which comes mainly through negotiated collective agreements or the creation of workers’ co-ops.

In closing, I want to remind the Daily Gleaner’s editor of a few facts: The right to strike, as well as the right of public sector unions to exist, have been enshrined in our nation’s constitutional fabric and has been reaffirmed countless times by the Canadian Supreme Court. Union Rights are Human Rights.

Daniel Légère is the President of the New Brunswick Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Breaking the Mandate in New Brunswick

This Thursday and Friday, close to 300 public employees and elected union leaders from all sectors have met at a bargaining conference called “Breaking the Mandate – Bargaining Forward”.

The aim of the conference was clear : CUPE locals will coordinate their bargaining efforts and prepare for mass action to obtain better wages.

“For years, provincial government has tried to hold a mandate of wage restraint that has set our members back. We are hosting this conference to align our forces to fight for wages at the bargaining tables. It has become the number one priority for most, because overall, workers’ pay has not followed cost of living increases for the last 10 years,” said Daniel Légère, President of CUPE NB.

Previous negations with public sector unions have been marked two consecutive wage restraint mandates, meaning weak or no wage increases: 0% and 1% were the norm.

“When you look at inflation adjusted wages, most public sector workers have an equal or weaker purchasing power from what they had 10 years ago,” said Légère. “Our members are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. Living from paycheck to paycheck is not sustainable,” said Légère.

In addition to low wages, many sectors are also affected by staffing cuts, which have led to increased workloads for remaining staff.

“The recent West Virginia teachers strike in the United States shows us all that winning big requires drastic actions. This is why we had this this conference. The conference is just the start. Mass membership meetings, membership education, mobilization and more is to be expected this year,” said Légère.

When we stand united and mobilized, CUPE members have the strength to break the mandate!

 

 

 

Should New Brunswick Do What Ontario Did?

Since the economic recession of 2008, there has been a shift in workplaces across all sectors in Canada. We are seeing an increase in precarious work, with more part-time and casual workers than ever, and stagnant wages despite rising economic gains, even in New Brunswick[1].

Precarious work generally describes unstable work conditions and limited rights and protections in the workplace due to a rise in temporary, part-time, contracted or subcontracted work[2]. It is difficult to have a full picture of precarious work in Canada because of the nature of precarious work. However, the rise in part-time and temporary work in specific sectors suggests the rise of unstable work for many New Brunswickers. A new report by Chartered Professional Accountants Canada highlights a sharp rise in part-time and temporary work in educational services, information, culture and recreation, and accommodation and food services. The report observes that workers in these last two sectors make 12% and 30% less average dollars per hour than other Canadians[3]. There is also mention that younger Canadians, particularly women, and older Canadians are most affected by precarious work, and that education levels don’t protect you from unstable work. The CPA Chief Economist points out:

Among young Canadians, men and women of nearly all education levels have experienced a sizeable increase in the likelihood of part-time employment (…) [this supports] the notion that young people are obtaining higher education, but finding it increasingly difficult to find full-time work after graduation. (p. 11)

In New Brunswick, since 2008, there has been an increase in workers who could not find full-time work who looked for full-time work in the last month[4]. In 2016, New Brunswick communities also made up three out of the 10 economic regions with the lowest average hourly wages in Canada[5]. It is telling that over the last 10 years, in New Brunswick, there has been an increase in the proportion of minimum wage workers who are full-time employees, older workers, workers with job tenure over five years and workers with post-secondary education[6]. This means that New Brunswickers entering the workforce are faced with precarious work, and that there is no upward mobility for those who have always faced precarious work.

The rates of unionization are also falling in Canada, from 37.6% in 1981 to 28.8% in 2014, with a sharper decrease among men and young workers[7]. This indicates that less people have access to stable jobs that provide decent wages, good benefits, respectful working conditions and access to rights protection and advocacy. In 2016, in New Brunswick, 94% of workers earning minimum wage were not unionized[8].

New Brunswick labour laws have been sporadically updated throughout recent years. There has been an added statutory holiday on the third Sunday in February every year, the forthcoming introduction of a first contract arbitration legislation and the review of employment standards for young workers. However, the shifting labour and economic landscape and the aging of New Brunswick’s population creates an environment in which a complete review and reform of the laws that govern working people in New Brunswick is needed. Such an exercise was undertaken in 2015 in the province of Ontario, with the Changing Workplaces Review. This process was lead by special advisors C. Michael Mitchell, an experienced labour and employment lawyer, and The Honourable John C. Murray, a neutral, full-time arbitrator and mediator. The advisors reviewed the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and produced a report. The report, containing 173 recommendations, led to the tabling and passing of Bill 148: Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, which greatly increased workers rights under these laws. The new bill raised the minimum wage to $15/hour, increased the amount of critical illness and parental leave, added a domestic violence leave, added rights for independent contractors, changed scheduling provisions to give more stability for workers, and makes it easier for workers to unionize.

New Brunswick workers deserve these improvements as much as Ontario workers do. It is high time that we undertake a review of New Brunswick’s Employment Standards Act, Industrial Relations Act, Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Civil Service Act. Such a review should be undertaken by independent, third party experts in labour law, chosen by a panel made up of equal parts employee and employer representatives, to ensure the rights of workers are upheld and enhanced and not clawed back. This thorough review process would be a great way to start tackling precarious work in our province.

Read other recommendations to improve New Brunswick in “Building a more equal society: a progressive election platform for New Brunswick in 2018“.


Gabrielle Ross-Marquette is a CUPE Research Representative for the Maritimes Regional Office.

 

[1] Statistics Canada (2017). Unionization rates falling, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-630-x/11-630-x2015005-eng.htm.

[2] Government of New Brunswick (2017). New Brunswick Minimum Wage Factsheet, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, https://www.nbjobs.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/newbrunswickminimumwagefactsheet1.pdf.

[1] Government of New Brunswick (June 2017). RBC revises New Brunswick’s GDP growth projection upward, http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/news/news_release.2017.06.0862.html.

[2] International Labour Organization (2011). ACTRAV Symposium on Precarious Work, http://www.ilo.org/actrav/events/WCMS_153972/lang–en/index.htm.

[3] Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (2018). Navigating Precarious Employment in Canada: Who is Really at Risk?, http://bit.ly/2D2dRSN.

[4] Statistics Canada (2018). CANSIM Table 282-0013, http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a34?lang=eng&mode=tableSummary&id=2820013&stByVal=2&p1=-1&p2=9.

[5] Statistics Canada (2017). The 10 economic regions with the lowest average full-time hourly wage, https://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170615/t004a-eng.htm.

[6] Government of New Brunswick (2017). New Brunswick Minimum Wage Factsheet, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, https://www.nbjobs.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/newbrunswickminimumwagefactsheet1.pdf.

[7] Statistics Canada (2017). Unionization rates falling, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-630-x/11-630-x2015005-eng.htm.

[8] Government of New Brunswick (2017). New Brunswick Minimum Wage Factsheet, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, https://www.nbjobs.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/newbrunswickminimumwagefactsheet1.pdf.