Union protests rage on at gates of Base Borden, causing disruptions
Traffic heading into Base Borden on Friday was stalled as Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members joined forces with the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada to protest against failed contract negotiations with the government.
According to June Winger, the UNDE National President, the unions are protesting for fair wages.
"We're going to stick together and make sure that nobody goes in to work. We'll shut down every base across Canada if we have to," Winger said.
The protest inconvenienced and frustrated others, including Natalie Leslie.
"I have been waiting for over four hours today. Four hours! It's ridiculous. It has to stop. I love my co-workers, the public service, I love them, but this is ridiculous. It has to stop. I have a right to work, and I should be able to get to work," Leslie said.
Mary Lloyd said joining the protest Friday is setting a precedent for Canadian workers.
"What they are fighting for will impact other unions," Lloyd said.
The union is pushing for just over a 13 per cent raise over the next three years, along with flexible work-from-home options and better representation in the workplace.
The rally forced both schools within the base to close, pushing students to return to virtual learning.
The French public and Catholic boards on the base said students would return to virtual learning on Monday.
The boards will then reevaluate the situation daily after that. While there could be plans to allow school buses to jump any traffic backups, the concern is that staff won't be able to get to school on time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.