New Brunswick and CUPE Local 1418 have signed a new collective agreement, the province announced on Tuesday.
Under the new collective agreement, employees will see a wage increase of 12.5 per cent over four years, retroactive to 2022.
It also provides a heightened and targeted premium for social workers on the front lines of child protection.
Representing around 1,100 employees, the union encompasses a variety of roles, including social workers (with a focus on child protection), probation and parole officers, clinical psychologists, and human resource development officers.
They primarily operate within the departments of social development, justice and public safety, post-secondary education, training and labour, and tourism, heritage and culture.
“These employees serve some of our most vulnerable in important, front-line roles, and I am pleased that the parties could work diligently to give them a new collective agreement,” said Finance and Treasury Board Minister Ernie Steeves.
“It is wonderful to be able to sign this new agreement, and I want to thank this group for their hard work and commitment.”