NAPE astounded at court case over striking workers

'This group has asked for nothing more than the template wage offer made to all others and to retain their current agreement.' - Carol Furlong.

St. John's (16 Mar 2010) - An application for a court injunction by the College of the North Atlantic against striking members of the Burin/Marystown Community Training and Employment Board will do nothing to resolve the dispute, says Carol Furlong, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE).

Furlong says she is astounded that the focus is being placed on the picketing workers rather than on the fact that replacement workers are doing the work and nothing is being done to resolve the dispute.

“The minister of education, who also represents the people of the Burin Peninsula, should be taking an active role in trying to resolve this strike rather than inflame it,” she argues.

"To say that this is bizarre would be an understatement. A group earning minimum wage rates are on strike while replacement management workers are earning overtime hourly wages that would be equivalent to, or greater than, a full days wages for most of the strikers and their clients."

Furlong says NAPE has not been told "why government is intent on concessions from a group of workers who earn $9.50 to $10.66 an hour."

"This group has asked for nothing more than the template wage offer made to all others and to retain their current agreement. It is inconceivable that a group of women and persons with disabilities, would be considered less valuable than 40,000 others who recently negotiated collective agreements,” she says.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE