In its report release this week, the Conciliation Board recognized that hospital workers did not receive a real wage increase in the last 10 years.
The Conciliation Board is recommending a 12 per cent wage increase over 4 years plus further negotiations for wage adjustments, reclassifications, recruitment and retention issues, said Local 1252 president David Rouse.
We are satisfied that a third party recognized that the hospital workers need a real wage increase and rejected the ludicrous Government offer, added Rouse
The Government last offer was 3 per cent for 4 years.
The Conciliation Board also recognized that the New Brunswick hospital support workers are behind their counterparts. In Nova Scotia, they are 14.2 per cent ahead of us, and have just recently settled their contract giving them another 16 per cent raise over 3 years while in Prince Edward Island our counterparts are earning 7.7 per cent more than our hospital workers.
With an offer of 3 per cent over 4 years it is clear, the Lord Government is looking for a confrontation with the hospital workers and forcing another strike in New Brunswick , concluded Rouse.
CUPE Local 1252 represents 6,500 hospital workers throughout the province, their collective agreement expired 14 months ago.