Sustaining Public Safety Services in NB
Emergency service workers are trusted and admired professionals in our community and because they can’t go on strike, like all workers, they deserve to get fair increases over time.
They deserve fair compensation for performing dangerous services that keep our communities safe. That’s why today they are some of the highest paid municipal employees in New Brunswick - with better benefits and retirement options than the majority of New Brunswickers.
When municipalities and emergency service workers cannot agree on wage and benefit increases, interest arbitration is used to settle their collective agreements.
One of the issues that has developed over the past number of years is that the wage gap between emergency service employees and other municipal employees is growing. In fact, wage and benefit increases for emergency workers in New Brunswick are growing faster than wage and benefit increases for all other municipal employees, faster than most New Brunswickers and faster than Canada’s rate of inflation.
This is because the arbitrators, in most cases, will award wage increases to fully emergency services that don’t reflect the agreements that the municipalities are negotiating with all their other employees.
They deserve fair compensation for performing dangerous services that keep our communities safe. That’s why today they are some of the highest paid municipal employees in New Brunswick - with better benefits and retirement options than the majority of New Brunswickers.
When municipalities and emergency service workers cannot agree on wage and benefit increases, interest arbitration is used to settle their collective agreements.
One of the issues that has developed over the past number of years is that the wage gap between emergency service employees and other municipal employees is growing. In fact, wage and benefit increases for emergency workers in New Brunswick are growing faster than wage and benefit increases for all other municipal employees, faster than most New Brunswickers and faster than Canada’s rate of inflation.
This is because the arbitrators, in most cases, will award wage increases to fully emergency services that don’t reflect the agreements that the municipalities are negotiating with all their other employees.
New Brunswick’s cities are concerned about the fairness of this income gap and are worried that emergency services are becoming unaffordable for you - the taxpayer. Within the 8 cities of New Brunswick, the average emergency services salary has increased 58% since 2003 while the average New Brunswickers salary has only increased 13% during that same time. If this trend is allowed to continue, the escalating costs will become unaffordable.
Today, the costs of emergency services (fire and safety and police) represent approximately 30% of the average tax bill you pay each month. Should this continue to escalate, taxpayers within our municipalities are going to have to make some tough choices.
One option would be to cut back on emergency services but most New Brunswickers don’t want that.
The current arbitration in New Brunswick assumes that municipalities can simply raise taxes to pay for escalating salaries for emergency workers but most New Brunswickers don’t want that either.
One option would be to cut back on emergency services but most New Brunswickers don’t want that.
The current arbitration in New Brunswick assumes that municipalities can simply raise taxes to pay for escalating salaries for emergency workers but most New Brunswickers don’t want that either.
Another option is to cut funding to other services within a municipality. Services like;
Many of these play an important part of ensuring safe communities. Services like Economic development, recreational and arts programs all ensure greater employment opportunities and improved quality of life for citizens.
Investments in these areas often to reduce the need for emergency services – lowering costs for taxpayers.
The 8 cities of New Brunswick agrees that interest arbitrators should look at each community and consider the impact their decisions will have on taxpayers.
- City Roads
- Garbage Collection and recycling
- Snow Removal
- Economic development
- Public Transit
- Recreation and culture
- Libraries
Many of these play an important part of ensuring safe communities. Services like Economic development, recreational and arts programs all ensure greater employment opportunities and improved quality of life for citizens.
Investments in these areas often to reduce the need for emergency services – lowering costs for taxpayers.
The 8 cities of New Brunswick agrees that interest arbitrators should look at each community and consider the impact their decisions will have on taxpayers.
The current system of provincially mandated interest arbitration is causing key challenges including:
We understand that the unions representing these amazing men and women will say this is an attack on collective bargaining. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We want to be able to continue to pay these amazing professionals fair and progressive wages while ensuring we consider the impact on all other municipal services and ultimately on you – the taxpayer.
- Lack of incentive to negotiate openly with Public Safety unions
- Slow and expensive arbitration processes
- Awards that consistently exceed negotiated non-public safety settlements
- The Arbitration premium – even when settlements are negotiated, the increases are higher
We understand that the unions representing these amazing men and women will say this is an attack on collective bargaining. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We want to be able to continue to pay these amazing professionals fair and progressive wages while ensuring we consider the impact on all other municipal services and ultimately on you – the taxpayer.
Cumulative wage increases by city since 2004
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