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February 16, 2016, Fredericton – A path to permanent residency, open work permits and better community support services for all migrant workers are serious issues in New Brunswick. If you attended this weekend’s Equal in Rights: Migrant Workers Rights Forum in Fredericton, you now know how difficult work and life can be for temporary workers employed in Atlantic Canada.  The forum was the first of its kind in New Brunswick and brought together more than 75 migrant workers, labour union activists and civil society members. “The forum was an effort to build relationships of solidarity with temporary workers who are coming to Canada from all over the world in search of a better life for their families,” said Debbie Downey, CUPE National Global Justice Committee member and forum organizer.

Participants were able to hear firsthand accounts of vulnerability, exploitation and struggle from several migrant workers who attended from New Brunswick, PEI and Montreal. Several Filipino fish-plant workers present at the forum explained the difficulties they faced because of the infamous ‘4 and 4’ rule. Temporary workers can only be employed for four years in Canada. They must then leave the country and cannot come back to work for another four years. Many of them could face deportation[1].

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program has come under fire for undermining the rights of migrant workers in Canada. “They are tied to specific employers. They have difficulty protecting themselves from workplace abuse and have little access to community support services” said Luc LeBlanc, CUPE Research Representative.  “Those who qualify to apply for permanent residency undergo a lengthy process that separates them from their families for extended periods” added LeBlanc.

According to the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the number of temporary migrant workers is now more than double the number of newcomers coming to Canada with permanent resident status.

Forum participants have committed to organizing and working together to support efforts to help the province’s migrant workers struggle for dignity and genuine rights recognition.

The forum was hosted in partnership with CUPE, MIGRANTE Canada, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and KAIROS.

February 13, 2016, Fredericton – After being in strike position since December, CUPE Local 1783 members have accepted the final offer from the employer this Saturday.

” After much debate over this offer, the union concluded an agreement to avoid negative impacts on those who depend on this service the most, the riders,” said CUPE National Representative Ralph McBride.

Thought this offer did not correct all the concerns for the OPII’s such as Health and Dental Benefits, the members took it upon themselves to do what they felt was in the right and remain on the job. “They will take on the fight to the next round of bargaining,” said McBride.

“Local 1783 has always taken the high road to try to bargain a better deal for their members. However, at this point, they felt that it was time to move forward and relief the stress of the ridership,” concluded McBride.

The Local thanks the ridership for their understanding over the last few months and will continue to do the best they can to service them.

CUPE Local 1783 represents 43 Fredericton transit workers that operate 28 buses on nine different routes

February 8, 2016, Fredericton – CUPE NB and the NB Council of Municipal Employees join their voices in opposition to Finance Minister Melanson’s promise to change provincial binding arbitration law. The government could get on a slippery slope by tipping the balance in favour of employers.

“Essential services employees cannot go on strike like other unionized employees. Binding arbitration is often the only remedy these union members have when there is a negotiation deadlock.” explained CUPE NB Acting President, Odette Robichaud.

“Government would be stripping away the union leverage at the table to ensure employers negotiate fairly” said Marcos Salib, CUPE NB Council of Municipal Employees’ Coordinator.

“Even if implemented, the law does not tackle the fundamental problems: proper funding and ability to collect revenue. Arbitrators have often ruled that the ability to pay is not a valid argument used by employers as they have the ability to increase revenues by various avenues. Instead, Government should assist the Municipalities by eliminating the equalization grants that have resulted in lost revenues to major municipalities” noted Salib.

“For CUPE, this is a question of workers’ rights. We will have to consider our legal options” warned Robichaud.

February 3, 2016 – Fredericton:  This year’s budget is less about job creation and more about keeping the status quo: New Brunswick’s public sector is still being slowly eroded and it is hurting the quality of our public services.

“Our members have come out strong during public consultations: the Government heard the message.” said CUPE NB acting President Odette Robichaud. “For this budget, they backed off drastic cuts and closures on K-12 Education and Health Care. However, all departments are not safe, for if you read between the lines of the budget documents, the government has passed the buck to department managers and CEO’s when it comes to announcing job cuts,” Robichaud pointed out.

Finance Minister Roger Melanson announced that more than 200 casual transportation workers will lose their jobs, to the benefit of the private sector. Government is hinting at privatization in other sectors, notably in the Department of Finance and primary health care services.

“The presence of privatization language in this year’s budget documents is alarming. There is absolutely no reason for this when the Gallant government has cut services, raised revenues, and now says the deficit has been dealt with through the HST increase.” explained Robichaud.  “I have this question: was this budget written with political goals rather than true fiscal considerations?”

“The province should focus on growing the economy, increasing wages, creating jobs, and raising general income for the Province and maintaining quality public services for New Brunswickers. Our government should not wave the privatization flag because the deficit will be eliminated.  Privatization lacks accountability and transparency, are of lower quality than in-house public services and simply cost more.” concluded Robichaud.

Fredericton: CUPE National officers were in Fredericton today to support CUPE members in their fight against the Gallant Government’s austerity agenda.

“We are committed to fight with CUPE members across this province to protect public services. We can’t let a government destroy with a stroke of a pen this province’s social fabric”, said Mark Hancock, CUPE National President.

“Our Union will financially support the actions that CUPE NB Division undertakes to stop this blatant attack on public services”, added Charles Fleury, National Secretary-Treasurer.

“Contrary to what members of the Gallant government are saying, they have a choice. They could restore a progressive tax system to generate revenues. They could invest in public services in rural communities instead of slashing services and putting an extra financial burden on New Brunswickers. Many options were put forward during the last round of provincial public consultations but unfortunately the Government chose to ignore them”, added Hancock.

“We hope the Government will come to its senses and listen to New Brunswickers when they clearly said they wanted to keep their public services”, said Odette Robichaud, CUPE NB Vice-president.

By Toby Sanger, CUPE Economist

With its Choices document and 2016 Budget, the New Brunswick government appears ready to make the same mistakes that have been made by different governments again and again: cut public services and employment and expect the province’s economy and fiscal situation to improve.

These types of austerity measures have failed again and again in New Brunswick and around the world. They may not call it austerity, and they dress it up in positive language, but the results will be the same.

The Choices strategic program review document claims the government will focus on three priorities; 1) Job creation, 2) Getting our finances in order and 3) Improving services for families. However, of the 32 options presented in the document 75% are focused on spending cuts, contracting-out, privatization or “monetizing” the government’s assets, 25% on tax and increases and not a single one on the government’s supposed two other priorities: job creation and improving services for New Brunswick families. Instead, most
of these options will reduce jobs and services for New Brunswick families.

Toby’s complete document: Real Choices CUPE NB 2016 

New Brunswick is facing serious financial challenges. If we don’t act now, we will risk our ability to invest in priorities, such as job creation, supporting families by protecting health care and education, and helping our most vulnerable.

We all have a role to play in making the choices necessary to get New Brunswick back on its feet financially. What choices would you make? Join us at a public dialogue session and provide your input on the choices being considered.

The format for the public sessions involves group discussion. No presentations from the floor will be made at the events. Discussions will revolve around the spending and revenue choices outlined in Choices to Move New Brunswick Forward.Read More

FREDERICTON: The largest union in New Brunswick, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, is consulting with members across the province on a new course of action to halt the Government’s austerity bulldozer.

“We are ready to pull out all the stops to save the social fabric of New Brunswick”, said Odette Robichaud, CUPE NB Vice-President.

At the press conference today with union leaders representing the hospitals, schools, transportation workers and other government employees, CUPE NB asked the government to tell citizens how they came up with the document ‘Choices to Move New Brunswick Forward’.

“We have been to every public forum and round table in the province and this is not what we heard. Nobody came to the microphone to say you should close my hospital because I don’t mind travelling an extra hour to receive health care or increase the size of the classroom so the teacher will have less time to spend with my child, and on top of that, lay off education assistants. We didn’t hear any New Brunswickers come forward and say you should close the school in my community and privatize road maintenance and custodial services in the school, so my neighbours or family members would lose their jobs.”

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Dear Sisters and Brothers:

On December 6, 1989, 14 women were singled out because they were women and murdered by a man with a hunting rifle at the École polytechnique in Montreal. Most of the victims were young engineering students. In 1991, the Parliament of Canada established December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.

As we once again mark this sad anniversary, we remember the many women here in New Brunswick and throughout Canada who have been killed or harmed, often by their intimate partners but also by strangers, acquaintances or neighbours. We also think of all the women and girls who still live daily with the threat of physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse.

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World AIDS Day, designated December 1st every year since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease.

Every 3 hours a person is infected with HIV in Canada. One in three new infections are young people aged 15 to 24 and 23% of new infections are women.  Three-quarters of the 2 million people worldwide who became newly infected with HIV live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

HIV and AIDS are not only health issues; they are also human rights and social justice concerns, economic challenges, and labour issues. Our union is proud to stand in solidarity with those infected and affected by the disease, and with organizations and workers who support people living with HIV and AIDS. CUPE stands for strong, healthy communities and workplaces for everyone.

CUPE National has produced a new poster, a policy booklet, a bargaining checklist and a health and safety fact sheet to help locals build awareness, promote discussion, and encourage action on the critical issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.

• Download the policy booklet
• Download the bargaining checklist
• Download the health & safety fact sheet
• See and order the poster here
• Order free colour copies of all of these items