NBCC instructors in bitter contract dispute with Higgs government

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Close to 700 instructors at New Brunswick Community College could go on strike in the new school year over a contract dispute with the Higgs Conservative government, says a labour leader.

Susie Proulx-Daigle, the president of New Brunswick Union, warned of the labour strife only a week after she learned the province had rejected a basic framework agreement that had been hammered out by NBCC management and her organization following about nine months of negotiations.

The contract of 690 faculty expired in July 2020 and the union wants them to have parity with what college instructors earn in neighbouring Nova Scotia.

From the call that we had Wednesday night with the members, there’s strong support for job action if nothing is resolved.

Susie Proulx-Daigle

More than 12,000 students attend the college’s six campuses in Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Saint Andrews, Miramichi and Woodstock.

“NBCC wanted to make sure government was OK with the deal, so they presented the framework in February,” the union leader told Brunswick News. “And the government of New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs just rejected it.”

The last contract shows that NBCC instructors earn between $56,108 and $82,342, depending on their education and seniority. The majority cannot get to the top level, particularly trade instructors, because they don’t have enough education.

The union says they are paid 23 per cent less than their counterparts earn at Nova Scotia Community College, where every pay level is open to every instructor. The instructors in the neighbouring province took a strike vote last month before ratifying a new collective agreement that hasn’t been publicly released. New Brunswick Union says its new contract means the difference in pay will soon grow to 30 per cent.

It also contends that the framework agreement the Higgs government rejected included a provision that every NBCC instructor could reach the top pay level after enough years of service.

The labour dispute is a big challenge for NBCC’s president, Mary Butler, who last year was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine.

She declined an interview request.

Instead, a statement was issued by NBCC executive director Rosalynn Alessi, who cited the importance of upholding the confidentiality of negotiations.

“Our discussions with the faculty union are ongoing, and we’re dedicated to achieving a mutually agreeable resolution that aligns with the interests of all parties involved,” she said in an email. “Our priority remains the continued success and well-being of our faculty, staff, and students. We highly value the contributions of our faculty members and are committed to resolving any outstanding issues through respectful and collaborative negotiation with their union representatives, utilizing all available mechanisms to support the successful completion of the bargaining process.”

The dispute is also a big challenge for the Higgs government, known for its frugality and mindfulness of taxpayers’ money. Less than three years ago, the province endured a strike that involved several locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees with a membership of 22,000. The 16-day strike in November 2021 was the biggest labour action in Canada that year.

Greg Turner, the minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, also declined an interview request on Friday.

Spokesperson Paul Bradley said the parties continue to work within the structure set out in the Public Service Labour Relations Act with the goal of arriving at a new collective agreement.

“The Department of Post-Secondary Education Training and Labour will not provide any additional comments at this time,” he wrote, citing that the contract dispute was before the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board, a quasi-judicial body.

The labour strife threatens to impact NBCC’s record enrolment, just when experts say New Brunswick needs more people to fill labour shortages.

Proulx-Daigle warned that if the two sides can’t work out an agreement soon, instructors could walk off the job in September.

“Absolutely,” she said. “That would be the next step if we can’t come to an agreement. The vote would be put out to the members whether they want to strike or not. From the call that we had Wednesday night with the members, there’s strong support for job action if nothing is resolved.”

The New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board told Brunswick News that lawyer John McEvoy, the organization’s alternate chairperson, had been assigned to act as a commissioner to hear the two parties, which both agreed last week to the fast-track version of conciliation.

He will hear from both sides in mid-May and then prepare a report with recommendations, which are non-binding, likely mid-summer.

If the two sides still don’t agree, the union could take a strike vote.