Thousands of public-sector workers in New Brunswick are entering their 11th day of strike action on Monday.
The strike involving members from 10 CUPE New Brunswick locals across the province began on Oct. 29.
Health care and laundry workers in three locals were ordered back to work by the Higgs government on Friday.
Provincial officials said the strike was having a “significant impact” on the province’s health care sector.
But CUPE said some of its members who reported to work on Saturday were told to go back home.
“Employees reported to work, and the employer told them they were still on strike, that this mandatory order did not affect their place of employment, and they were also told that they were still following strike schedules,” said Norma Robinson, president CUPE Local 1252, which represents more than 9,000 health care workers.
Thousands of other workers remain on the picket line, including school bus drivers, custodians, educational assistants, social workers, and corrections officers.
Pensions remain a major sticking point, with the province wanting to move the two school-based groups to its shared-risk plan, and CUPE wanting the issue off the table.
But the two sides have moved closer to one another on the issue of wages. The province’s most recent offer included an annual two per cent wage increase over five years, plus a 25-cent hourly wage adjustment each year, while CUPE made a similar counter-offer with a 50-cent hourly wage adjustment in years four and five.
As of Monday morning, no new talks had been scheduled between CUPE and the Higgs government.
