A break in talks to resolve a long-running strike involving community support workers in southern Newfoundland has astounded families of developmentally delayed adults who depend on their care.

“Just devastated,” said Amelia Cull, describing her reaction to news that negotiations had hit an impasse to resolve a strike with workers of the Burin-Marystown Community Training and Employment Board.

“I could’ve chewed them to pieces, I was that evil,” said Cull.

Cull’s daughter, Judy, 41, has worked for 20 years at the primary school in Marystown, but — because she is developmentally delayed — has needed a support worker by her side.

With that person on strike, Judy Cull is at home and confused.

“It really helps Judy because it gives her self-esteem,” her mother told CBC News. “And right now, she’s not doing nothing. And she’s just wondering when she can go back to work.”

A conciliator working with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees and the Newfoundland and Labrador government could not mediate an agreement over wages. The provincial government only recently became involved in the dispute, having argued it is not the employer.

The support workers in the Burin area make a little more than minimum wage.

NAPE president Carol Furlong said the two sides are apart by a raise of only 40 cents per hour for each of four years of a proposed contract.

“We have asked the question repeatedly in bargaining — what is this about?” she said Wednesday.

“We know it’s not about money. It can’t be about money. We have never gotten a valid answer.”

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NAPE workers on the Burin peninsula are no closer to a deal after the latest round of talks with government have broken off. The union is now calling on the Premier to get involved. President Carol Furlong says she doesn’t think Danny Williams knows what’s really happening at the bargaining table and the fact that at issue is 40 cents an hour. She says she’ll be writing to tell him of the careless attitude his negotiators have shown towards this particular group of workers and their clients. She says if the Premier knew, he would be outraged. She says she doesn’t believe he’s aware of what the latest proposal was and what it means.

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Negotiations for a new labour contract at a well-known candy manufacturer in St. John’s have become anything but sweet.

Talks with Purity Factories Ltd. have broken off in a dispute over wages, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees said.

NAPE is organizing a strike vote, president Carol Furlong said.

“We’ve been to the bargaining table, we’ve been to conciliation and at this stage now we have no recourse but to go back to our membership for a vote,” she said.

“But the membership are clearly expressing their disappointment that the employer is not recognizing the contribution they’re making to this local industry.”

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NAPE and the provincial government agreed to return to the bargaining table in an attempt to settle the eight month old strike by employees of the Burin-Marystown Community Training and Employment Board last Tuesday.

After ongoing talks over several days, no resolution had been reached by press deadline Friday, but NAPE president Carol Furlong indicated the union was preparing a new offer and discussions would continue this week.

“We’ve been in talks now for pretty much most of the week, off and on. The fact that we’re still having discussions is, to me, a positive sign. The union is putting forward a new offer and we’ll wait and see what government’s response is going to be to that.”

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