Miramichi CUPE Members Might’ve Found What They were Looking For
There was a lot of energy in the Miramichi the past few weeks. The Canadian Union of Public Employees have been striking since Oct. 29th over wages and workload, they’re saying is unfair.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) represent childcare, health care, transportation, sanitization, education workers and more. There is 700,000 members across the country. Tanya Murphy, a school bus driver from the Miramichi, says that the yellow fist sign represents solidarity and standing up with your brothers and sisters against Blaine Higgs, the premier of New Brunswick.
Murphy says there are many reasons why people are choosing to strike.
“From what I understand, it’s pay increase to match the cost of living and he’s trying to fight with our pension plan. We’re not too happy about the direction he wants to go with it. We’ll end up losing money probably from what I hear and he’s looking to add more workload to some of the positions.”
Picketers went to the Fredericton Legislature on Nov. 2nd and took things to the next level. Hundreds of people showed up to support the CUPE and help get their point across.
Local businesses like Tim Hortons showed their support for the picketers by bringing them hot drinks and nurses at the Miramichi hospital ordered pizzas for everyone.
“So, we’re striking for, they’re saying wages but it’s more about the concessions and the pensions that they’ve set against us. The concessions that they’re trying to change is our bereavement, our sick days, and really, the wages are the least of my worries.”
Dawn Brophy Dunn says that she’s always supported Higgs and was behind him 100% but is surprised that he’s not taking actions for the CUPE. This could lead to future problems with Higgs supporters during election time.
This Monday, schools opened again when thousands of CUPE picketers returned to work following a 17-day strike that forced students to do school online.
Health care workers have also returned to work allowing to speed up and return to normal. Thousands of procedures and over 100 surgeries were postponed before health-care workers were ordered back to work after the province’s emergency mandate (Atlantic.ctvnews.ca).
CUPE members at a proposed Memorandum of Agreement regarding the pension plans that was taken back to their respective bargaining teams for consideration. The CUPE Centralized Bargaining Team (CBT) and the Government of New Brunswick arrived at a proposed wage package that the CBT took back to their local bargaining teams for consideration.
The 7 local bargaining teams that directly bargain with the Government of New Brunswick (1190, 1418, 1840, 1251, 1252, 1253, 2745) are united in presenting this wage proposal, along with previously agreed-to local issues, to their membership for a vote.
The CUPE announced on Monday that executives going to present their offer to CUPE members and then voting will take place but that everything should be finalized by tomorrow.
This means that CUPE members won their fight and might be getting what they asked for. Their motivation to stand up for they’re rights is inspiring to all union workers and New Brunswickers. It shows that no matter the circumstance, people can still come together and try to make change.