The members of CUPE 1190 – the general labour and trades workers in New Brunswick – voted in favour of their new collective agreement by 95%.
Contract votes were conducted on February 18, in over 15 locations across New Brunswick. A total of 1246 members participated in the vote.
“We had been bargaining for over two years, and we were not moving with the previous government,” said Jonathan Guimond, president of CUPE 1190 and himself a heavy equipment operator for 20 years. “After our August 2024 strike vote, we got back to the table in January with the new government, and they took workers’ demands seriously,” added Guimond.
The new four-year contract contains a $5 flat rate general economic wage adjustment over those 4 years for all members. Many monetary gains on benefits/premiums were made, many of which had not been improved in over 20 years. This includes items such as boot and tool allowances, and improvements to vacation entitlement for all members, including casuals.
“Our team feels we secured a fair deal which will help improve retention and recruitment and recognizes the cost-of-living pressures our members are dealing with,” said Guimond.
“We are proud that this deal improves wages above inflation, contains no concessions, and improves worker recognition,” concluded Guimond.