However, not everyone at the meeting last night was happy – with close to 100 protesters from CUPE in silent attendance with banners and signs.
Odette Robichaud is the Vice President for CUPE New Brunswick.
She says they shared their concerns and ideas in the first round of Strategic Program Reviews meetings with no effect.
“And unfortunately with this document they published this past December, we find out that there was nothing that they didn’t hear us,” says Robichaud. “So we decided this time we were gonna be here to silently protest.”
Robichaud says CUPE is deeply concerned about the public services and the possibility of deep cuts to help reduce the provincial deficit and the protest was the best way they could make their disappointment known.
“It’s another way for us to share with the public in general our concern with the importance of standing up to try to maintain the quality of public services in New Brunswick,” says Robichaud.
She adds given that CUPE represents the biggest population of workers in New Brunswick it was suspicious their ideas were ignored.
“And if they chose not to listen to us, honestly I think they already have a plan in place and it’s just a matter of time and there’s no interest from their part to listen to anybody in New Brunswick,” says Robichaud.
She says they are willing to sit and work with the government to discuss what is the best for all New Brunswickers.
