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The New Brunswick Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is calling on New Brunswick Finance Minister Blaine Higgs, to follow PEI’s lead on the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP).

PEI Finance Minister Wes Sheridan announced, yesterday, his support to the Labour campaign to improve the CPP benefits,” said CUPE NB President, Daniel Légère.

Last month, we met with Minister Higgs to discuss the need to double over a seven- year period the Canada Pension Plan benefits,” said Légère.

We are asking Minister Higgs to support the position of his colleagues from the Atlantic Provinces at the next Finance Ministers’ meeting.”
 
“An increase in the CPP benefits and to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) would help thousands of New Brunswickers, mostly seniors and women, out of poverty. Many New Brunswickers don’t have a workplace pension plan and don’t earn enough to buy RRSP’s. CPP and GIS benefits make up a large part of their income when they retire.”

The government just announced this week a Task Force on Protecting Pension Plans so that the employees have access to their pension when they retire. We believe it should go a step further and support an increase in the CPP benefits so that every worker could count on a decent, secure income in retirement”, concluded Légère.

A recent Environics Research Group survey indicates that more than three quarters of Atlantic Canada support increasing Canada Pension Plan benefits.