Friday, October 26, 2012

CUPE Protests At Route 1 Opening

Not everyone in the crowd at the Route 1 Gateway opening was celebrating.


A Protest by CUPE local 963 representing the employees of NB Liquor attending the event at the Pennfield Elementary School yesterday (Thursday, October 25th).
CUPE representative Marcos Salib tells Tide News they are concerned over the privatization being done by the province. Salib says, "..obviously, when you have assets, you should not be selling those assets. That's money that brings tax revenues, money that stays in the communities." He adds, "We are very concerned about those closures and the loss of employment as well."
The provincial government previously announced the closure of NB Liquor stores in St. George and Bristol, replacing them with much smaller agency stores that will be privately owned.

Joanne Murray who currently works at the St. George NB Liquor store tells Tide News after 33 years, she was asked to pick a different store. She says she was given the option to pick between a location in St. Stephen, St. Andrews, or any location in Saint John. Murray says she is not sure what she wants to do, as her husband is sick and at the moment she works only four minutes from home. She says she is worried what the winter months will bring having to travel on the highway so far between home and her job if she chooses another NB Liquor location. Murray adds that NB Liquor offered her another position for the same pay and travel expenses would be paid, but only for the first three months.

CUPE Local 963 President Martha Thompson tells Tide News they are upset over the privatization of taxpayer-owned NB Liquor stores. She says, "I want them (the provincial government) to reverse their decision. The agency stores don't give the customer service, they don't have the product knowledge we have, and the people in those communities deserve a real liquor store."

CUPE is asking the provincial government to reverse their decision to close the NB Liquor locations in St. George and Bristol as the communities need the local jobs.

Route 1 Gateway Officially Open

The new Route 1 Gateway is officially open.


Premier David Alward told the crowd gathered at the Pennfield Elementary School yesterday (Thursday, October 25th), this highway is not just infrastructure -- but a tool. He says, "It is a tool to allow efficient movement and safe movement of goods and services in and out of New Brunswick. The highway is going to allow us to do better business in a more efficient way, but more inportantly, in a safe way for many years to come."

The $540 million project by Dexter Contruction is finished nearly a year ahead of time, and at it's peak created about 700 jobs.

South-West New Brunswick MP John Williamson says his government's top priority is building the economy and protecting jobs. He says, "On behalf of the Harper Government I am very pleased to mark the completion of the Route 1 Gateway Project. It's very rare that large infrastructure projects come in ahead of schedule and under budget, thereby saving dollars from taxpayers that we can use for other projects and initiatives."

Williamson spoke on behalf of Minister Keith Ashfield who is recovering from a heart attack.

Transportation Minister Claude Williams says everyone in New Brunswick can now travel safely on the highway. Williams says, "I join all New Brunswickers in saying thank you to all those involved in making the Route 1 Gateway a safe highway to travel on."

The entire 240 km stretch between St. Stephen and River Glade is now a divided, four-lane highway.