Burin support workers dispute deadlocked

Conciliation has failed to resolve a long-standing contract dispute between the Newfoundland and Labrador government and support workers who help developmentally delayed adults living on the Burin Peninsula.

A union leader representing the workers said Wednesday that after nine days of negotiations with a conciliator, government officials telephoned the union onAugust 20to say that government is not prepared to make any changes to its contract offer.

The support workers have been on strike since last November. The employees, who earn slightly more than minimum wage, help developmentally delayed adultswith a community-based work program.

Carol Furlong, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE), said Wednesday that talks have broken off despite the fact that the workers made concessions.

Furlong said the differencebetween the government's offer and NAPE's proposal is 40 cents an hour per year, over four years.

Furlong said she believes if Premier Danny Williams was made fully aware of the attitude displayed by the bargaining team he would be outraged.

Furlong said she will write Williams to outline her concerns.

Fifteen workers from the Burin Peninsula drove to St. John's to attend the news conference onWednesday.

They declined requests for interviews and said Furlong was speaking on their behalf.