New Brunswick

The unionized staff at Alaqsite’w Gitpu School in the Mi’gmaq First Nation of Listuguj voted strongly in support of a strike at a meeting this month. Workers will be in a legal strike position on August 26.

USGE/PSAC members were up early this morning trying to prevent Correctional Services Canada (CSC) from removing the cattle from the farm at Westmorland Institution.  It was this morning that CSC were to remove the cows from the prison farm to taken them to an auction sale in Truro, Nova Scotia.

The Greater Moncton Area Council was officially launched on June 9, 2010. Twelve members from various PSAC locals in the Greater Moncton area were in attendance. Jeannie Baldwin, REVP, was present and took the opportunity to talk to members on the different issues currently being worked on by PSAC.

PSAC 69081 members leafleted community members and band councillors in Listuguj Québec May 20 to protest management negotiators' threats of cuts and layoffs during conciliation.

The Greater Moncton Human Rights committee was presented with a plaque from the Common Front for Social Justice in recognition for it's contribution towards the "Stand Up Against Poverty Challenge" for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty held on October 17th.

PSAC members across N.B. have remembered workers who have been killed or injured on the job on April 28th.  Ceremonies marking the National Day of Mourning for 2010 were held in various locations throughout N.B.

Approximately 100 persons gathered in front of Moncton City Hall on April 23rd, in support of the NB Coalition for Pay Equity.  The Coalition was recently informed their federal funding would not be renewed.

Bargaining isn't going well between the 53 members of PSAC Local 69081 and the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government.Members of the directly chartered local were holding an information picket March 31 outside the band office when the Listuguj Chief paid a visit to the line.Chief Alison Metallic claimed to be unaware of the problems between negotiators for the band and the union. Chief Metallic also said the much-anticipated wage offer from management didn't exist.

«...There is no power like the power of the people, and the power of the people won't stop!....» was among the many slogans chanted by some PSAC members from all over N.B. who joined the crowd of approximately 2,500 people gathered in front of the NB Legislature in protest against the sale of NB Power on Saturday March 20th.

The Federal Budget released by the Harper Government has set a clear direction for balancing the budget within the next five years by targeting the federal public service through austerity measures. The budget freezes federal departmental spending with the goal of reducing the debt on the backs of public service workers.