Hundreds of New Brunswick labour and trades workers could be walking off the job in the coming weeks.
CUPE Local 1190 announced Friday that its members have voted 84 per cent in favour of strike action.
The union represents more than 2,200 members working for the New Brunswick government including machinists, labourers, welders and heavy equipment operators, as well as school bus, truck and equipment mechanics.
They also include artisans, healthcare linen/laundry drivers, bridge workers, maintenance workers, provincial ferry operators, and provincial housing workers.
“We have tried to bargain fairly for 20 months, but this government is again pushing workers towards a strike,” Jonathan Guimond, president of Local 1190, said in a news release.
“We are prepared to go back to the bargaining table right away if this government is prepared to make offers in parity dollar amounts with other workers.”
RELATED: Government labourers, tradespeople threaten strike action
During a news conference earlier in July, CUPE said the province’s most recent offer included a wage increase of $3.25 per hour for someone earning the median wage of $25.44.
The union’s last official offer was an increase of $7.25 per hour plus other benefits for someone earning the median wage.
Guimond said they presented the employer a one-time offer of $6 per hour plus other benefits to avoid a work stoppage, but the employer rejected it.
CUPE said it will go through the essential services designation process in the coming weeks, as per the Public Sector Labour Relations Act, to be in a legal strike position.
The province told our newsroom in early July that it hopes to reach a “fair agreement for all.”
