Cardy, Higgs appeal to CUPE leadership on Day 4 of strike

Education Minister Dominic Cardy hinted at the possibility Monday that some schools could reopen to "face-to-face" learning if the strike continues — if CUPE leadership reaches out to him to discuss it.

At a livestreamed labour news conference on Monday, Day 4 of a strike by thousands of provincial employees who are members of CUPE, Cardy urged the union leadership to reach out to him with "solid commitments" that would make it possible to safely reopen at least some schools.

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On Sunday, the New Brunswick government locked out all non-designated employees in CUPE locals 1253 and 2745, including custodians, bus drivers, school library assistants and administrative support, as well as a number of educational assistants, as workers continue to strike over wages.

Cardy said that even if all of the staff designated as essential showed up, there would not be enough to keep schools open for in-person learning, so all schools were moving to online learning for the duration of the strike.

However, he tossed the ball back to CUPE leadership on Monday.

"If CUPE is willing to reach out with solid commitments that are quite standard in many labour negotiations around which schools will be affected on which days, and we can have some level of predictability, then we can begin to have the conversation" of figuring out how schools can be safely opened for "face-to-face" learning, at least in some form.

Online learning likely to continue into next week

Cardy stressed that any such discussions would not be part of bargaining, but rather would be intended to manage the impact on schools as the strike progresses.

"My first hope is that this strike is ended in the hours, not days, to come, with a collectively bargained solution," he said. "But in the absence of that ... I hope that the CUPE leadership will hear the message that I just offered and reach out." 

Even if Cardy and CUPE are able to agree on some sort of hybrid reopening of schools, it won't be happening this week, and probably not next week, either.

"For this week, it is going to be 100 per cent online learning and at this point, I have no expectations that will change for next week," Cardy said.

"And if the strike, God forbid, stretches into a third week," he said, online learning will continue into that week as well.

Students urged to participate in online learning

Earlier Monday, some parents said they are not participating in online school in solidarity with workers, especially educational assistants, who are on strike or locked out by the province.

Asked about how many of the province's 100,000 students did not participate in online learning on Monday, Cardy said he did not have those numbers.

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"We have a school system that's decentralized when it comes to keeping track of all these things," Cardy said, "and I can tell you that one thing I have absolutely not done on the first day of having a system-wide transition to online learning … is ask them to send me numbers."

But he did encourage "as many students as possible" to participate in online learning.

"During the pandemic we've already lost weeks of school," he said. "Students are concerned they're going to fall more behind because of the consequences of the strike."

Cardy acknowledged that some families face "barriers" to participating in home learning.

He noted that the province's laptop subsidy program remains in place to ensure that all students have access to the technology needed to participate.

Under this program, launched during the pandemic, the department purchased 1,600 electronic devices, distributed across the seven school districts, that could be lent to K-8 students who required home learning.

Some teachers' pay could be delayed

Some teachers' pay could be delayed if the strike lasts weeks or longer, Cardy confirmed.

Some of the government employees locked out over the weekend handle payroll for teachers.

"Day-to-day supply teachers, long-term supply teachers who are engaged in the strike will be paid on Nov. 5. If the strike persists, some of those issues could be impacted," he said.

"But payroll personnel … are absolutely right out there on strike right now, that will have an impact in a few weeks' time. That's why why we need to … push as much as we can for this strike to be resolved as quickly as possible."    

Willing to talk, but 'there has to be a balance': Higgs

Premier Blaine Higgs also provided a labour update on Monday, in which he repeatedly stressed that the province is "open to working with CUPE" and committed to "doing what is necessary to protect New Brunswickers."

In a news conference held just a little over one hour after Cardy's update, Higgs said the strike has had noticeable effects on COVID-19 vaccine and screening clinics.

"It's a concern for us," he said. 

The situation is being closely monitored, he said, and if it reaches a point that New Brunswickers are at risk, "we will take steps to deal with it."

Asked if the province's offer to CUPE was its final offer or if there was room for concessions, Higgs said it was "important to leave the door open."

However, he said, CUPE was "not interested in sustainable pensions" or "affordable" wage packages. 

"I'm willing to sit down and talk, but there has to be a balance," he said. 

He said that impacts of the  strike by 22,000 provincial employees who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees are being felt in several sectors, but particularly in education and health.

Where the effects are being felt

Services affected by the strike include cleaning, logistics, vaccination clinics and COVID-19 screening, the education system, laundry services, ferry service, correctional services, court stenography services, and adult and child protection services.

On Monday, the province listed the following impacts:

Education

All schools across the province moved to home learning on Monday. Students will continue to learn from home until the strike is over.

Justice

In addition to most workers in correctional facilities as well as probation officers, victim services co-ordinators, and some support and maintenance personnel, the CUPE locals involved in the strike include court stenographers.

The provincial government said it has contingency plans in place to allow for the continuation of essential services.

Laundry

The strike is affecting the delivery of laundry services in hospitals and some nursing homes in the greater Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton areas.

Transportation

Ongoing ferry service delays are to be expected across the province. Motorists can check for updates regarding any impact to ferry services, by calling 511, checking the NB511 Twitter page or the NB511 website.  

Ferries resume service after disruption

Ferries were back online Monday after a weekend disruption, but the province and CUPE disagree on why most ferries  were offline.

Service has been restored on the Gondola Point and Evandale ferry routes and continues on the Westfield crossing, which had operated Sunday as well.

CUPE Local 1190, representing ferry workers among others, is among those that went on strike last Friday.

Depending on the ferry route, 60 to 70 per cent of the workers are designated essential and must continue working, said Local 1190 president Brent Wiggins. He said the province has a list of those designated workers, and it's up to the employer to call up the designated workers and prevent a service disruption.

Mark Taylor, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, said some of those designated workers did not show up over the weekend.

"I can confirm the ferry service was not operational because for whatever reason, the designated employees ... not all, but some designated employees, did not show up to work on the weekend," he said. "I can't speak to anything else."

Wiggins said this is "the first I've heard of this."

"We've made it perfectly clear and our members are quite knowledgeable on folks that are being designated and non-designated," he said. "They know very well, if you're designated, that you need to keep on and going to do your work.

"We can't tell people not to go to work if they're designated."

Taylor said the Belleisle ferry is offline, Kennebecasis Island has finished two weeks early, and the Peninsula Princess was running on Friday but is currently offline.