N.B. nurses reject latest tentative agreement, pausing negotiations until after election

The New Brunswick government and the union representing nurses will have to return to the negotiating table after the largest segment of nurses in the province voted against a new tentative collective agreement Thursday.

Part 3 nurses, who make up about 90 per cent of the New Brunswick Nurses Union membership, voted against the tentative agreement by a margin of 59 per cent, said union president Paula Doucet.

"Our negotiating team will be reconvening next week to reach out to our members in that particular unit to find out where we did not meet the needs for successful ratification for the tentative agreement," Doucet.

The vote of rejection means Part 3 nurses will remain with a collective agreement that expired at the end of last year.

And with a looming provincial election scheduled for Oct. 21, both parties have signalled they don't plan on recommencing negotiations until after a new government is formed.

"Obviously, it's disappointing that the broader nursing community did not vote in favour of the contract," said Health Minister Bruce Fitch, in an email statement Friday.

"The contract that was offered would have made New Brunswick nurses the highest paid in Atlantic Canada, and fourth highest paid in Canada."

In an interview Friday, Doucet sidestepped a question about whether the tentative agreement would elevate the salary of nurses by that much.

"What I can say is that nurses are recognizing that their working conditions needed serious attention that was not obviously meeting the needs for the members in Part 3," Doucet said.

Fitch's statement also noted that he understands the concerns nurses had were related to issues outside of the "actual contract."

When asked about that, Doucet said those issues have to do with the long-term disability plan and benefits nurses must pay for entirely on their own.

"We will be regrouping with our Part 3 nurses and looking forward to bringing back a potential new tentative agreement as soon as we can," she said.

Agreement ratified for managers, supervisors

Part 3 nurses work in hospitals, clinics and extramural care, and make up about 7,800 of the union's 8,500 members, Doucet said.

While Part 3 nurses rejected their tentative agreement, about 225 nurse managers and supervisors voted in favour of their agreement by a margin of 56 per cent, Doucet said.

Doucet said the union represents about 500 other nurses who work in long-term care homes, and a tentative agreement has not yet been reached for those members.