A strike that has cancelled classes at five New Brunswick Community College campuses appears to have hit a stalemate, with the union refusing to hold a vote on what the government insists is its final offer.

About 500 college custodians, jail guards and human resource counsellors from the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1251 went on strike Jan. 10.

Since most jail guards are considered essential workers, the custodians have had the greatest impact, prompting some campuses to cancel classes entirely because of dirty classrooms and washrooms. Others have been operating on half-day schedules.

Interim local president Louis Arseneau said members were briefed on the province's latest offer over the past few days.

"Overwhelmingly, the membership doesn't want to consider the offer. …They're just totally insulted," said Arseneau, who was in Bathurst on Saturday to meet with union members.

"I feel extremely bad for (students). Our intent was never to involve the students in this — we've been pushed up against the wall."

Members approved strike mandate in December

Union members voted 90 per cent in favour of a strike in December. The local's collective agreement expired in June 2007, and the union is fighting to align its salaries more closely with those of workers doing similar jobs in other provinces.

The union says its custodians earn $1.12 less an hour than public school custodians while the correctional officers working in the provincial jails are the lowest paid in the country.

Arseneau acknowledged the latest offer includes wage increases but complained that the soonest they would take effect is December 2009.

"We're paying groceries now; we're paying gas now; we have to eat now," he said. "Years down the road isn't going to help us at all."

The union is willing to return to the table, Arseneau said, but members will accept nothing less than immediate wage parity.

Human Resources Minister Wally Stiles said he was "terribly surprised and disappointed" with the union's decision not to put the latest offer to a vote.

"The government's final offer means final offer," Stiles said. "There's no more money left in the pot to offer these guys. … We've addressed every issue that they're interested in."

The province is considering what to do next, Stiles said, but possible options won't be revealed for at least a few days.

In the meantime, Stiles urged the union to take another look at the province's proposal.

"Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, and they'll look at this final offer," he said. "Our main priority right now is to get the students back to the classroom, get the workers back to work, make sure the students are in a safe and clean teaching environment."

Students plan protest for Wednesday

The proposal was based on the recommendations of Brian Bruce, who was appointed under the Public Service Labour Relations Act in September 2007 to examine the dispute.

Bruce met with both sides and made a number of recommendations, including a 19 per cent wage increase for some corrections officers over a four-year contract.

The union, however, rejected the recommendations in the report.
 
Students have planned a protest at the provincial legislature in Fredericton on Wednesday.

Cynthia LeBlanc, president of the student council at the New Brunswick Community College's Bathurst campus, said students will be demanding that both sides return to the table and find a way to end the strike.

"We're paying for an education, and we want our classes to resume," LeBlanc said in a news release. "Education is too important for us to just sit back and do nothing."