Hundreds of New Brunswick social service workers, members of CUPE Local 1418, took to the streets May 13 in eight cities across the province.
“We are putting the government on notice,” said local president Robert Le Moignan, as he took part in the rally outside MLA Joel Bernard’s office in Bathurst. “Our members are no longer willing to put up with staffing shortages, and workload levels that endanger the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.”
The local, which is in contract negotiations with the provincial government, has been pressing for action to address the workload crisis faced by social workers and other front line staff.
“This government has paid a lot of lip-service to the value of the work that we do. So far though, they have refused to put their money where their mouth is,” continued Le Moignan. “For example, they have hired a handful of child-protection workers, but not nearly enough.”