Looking for substantial raises after years of restraint
St. John's (28 Feb. 2008) - The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) have opened a new round of contract talks with the province.
After an acrimonious month-long strike in 2004, followed by more conciliatory campaign rhetoric from Premier Danny Williams last fall, conceding that public sector workers deserve a raise after years of restraint, NAPE says it intends to ensure that the premier keeps his word.
NAPE president Carol Furlong says the union will be seeking substantial increases for the more than 15,000 public service employees it represents across the province. The first meeting, on behalf of 800 members of its student assistant unit, was held with provincial treasury board officials this week.
It is widely expected that this round of bargaining will go more smoothly than the last one, although NAPE has made clear that it plans to be a tough negotiator.
For its part, the government is in much better financial shape this time than it was three years ago. Buoyed by energy revenues, it is projecting an $881-million surplus for the current fiscal year.
Other NAPE bargaining units scheduled to go to the table in the coming weeks include hospital support staff, lab technicians and the general service workers. NUPGE
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