N.B. nursing home workers’ union says talks have reached impasse, wants binding arbitration

The union representing nursing-home workers says bargaining talks have gone nowhere between them and their employer.

Talks had resumed on Monday.

“Unfortunately, the government and the employer, the New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes, failed to present an acceptable wage package to workers,” CUPE said in a news release.

Sharon Teare, the president of the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions (NBCNHU) is quoted as saying that if they had the right to strike, “the employer would take our demands and negotiations seriously, and it’s likely we would have already resolved this situation.”

A court order is in place that prevents nursing-home workers from striking until at least April 17.

The union says it would like to see the remaining matters sent to binding arbitration.

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However, when asked by reporters about the union’s statement on Wednesday, Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard said that talks were ongoing.

“Talks resumed on Monday. They resumed, they were still ongoing yesterday and this morning, so talks are ongoing,” she said.

“The premier has been really clear with how we’re going forward but for me, it is all about negotiation and everything is being discussed at the negotiating table. I’m not going to negotiate in public and so everything is being discussed at the negotiating table.”