FREDERICTON – The Red Cross Home Support Workers, CUPE Local 4598, are back at the bargaining table this morning.
CUPE Local 4598 represents 300 home support workers. The home support workers have been on strike since August 18, 2005.
“We hope that Red Cross is ready to negotiate seriously,” stated Louise Thibodeau, CUPE Representative.
‘’Our demands are clear; we want better salaries and benefits for the home support workers. The wage scale varies from $7.40 to $8.39 an hour for a home support worker with 10 years experience.’’
“In Nova-Scotia, the home support workers have just signed a collective agreement, which guarantees $14.75 an hour at the end of the contract in 2007. The work they perform in Novo-Scotia is similar to the work performed by the home support workers in New Brunswick. How can we explain such a wage differential?’’
“Two days of negotiations are scheduled. It is up to the Lord Government to settle this strike and to invest money for the well being of our seniors,’ concluded Louise Thibodeau
For more information:
Louise Thibodeau
CUPE representative
(506) 545-5739