Close the wage gap, skilled tradespeople tell government

Skilled tradespeople at Eastern Health demonstrated on Wednesday, demanding government pay them what their private-sector counterparts are getting.

The group included carpenters, electricians, and plumbers who say they're working for less than they would make in the private sector.

They say tradespeople won't come to work in the public sector for such low wages. 

Electrician Jim Smith says government needs to close the gap.

"Government always said they'd look after us, but they keep pushing the ball from one side of the fence to the other. You know, it's an endless struggle."

Smith says the tradespeople at Eastern Health are earning ten dollars an hour less than their NAPE counterparts at Memorial University.