MLL, union argue over numbers

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This article was published 10/08/2023 (1031 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union are now trading claims over workers’ wages, as hundreds of unionized Manitoba Liquor Mart workers are on strike across the province.

While MLL provided what it described as “real facts” to the public and its dedicated workforce, the union poked holes in those “facts.”

In a statement shared with the media on Wednesday, MLL president Gerry Sul claimed that a lack of complete information not only hampers employees but also does a disservice to the broader community of Manitobans.

“For employees beginning at our current wage level, our proposals entail a substantial 24.55 per cent base wage increase spanning over a period of four years,” Sul said, adding that this calculation was unequivocal, taking individuals from their existing hourly rate of $14.91 to a new rate of $18.57.

According to Sul, both the employees and the wider community experiencing disruptions due to the ongoing strike are directly impacted by the negotiations and deserve access to accurate information. He underscored that misconceptions should not cloud the understanding of the situation and that Manitobans should not unwittingly become casualties of any underlying agendas.

He reiterated MLL’s unwavering commitment to achieving a fair and reasonable agreement with its workforce. This commitment, according to him, is balanced against the responsibilities MLL holds to cater to the needs of all Manitobans.

However, a spokesperson from the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union (MGEU), who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, responded to MLL’s claims. The MGEU representative expressed concern about the CEO’s portrayal of the situation, emphasizing that the union and its members are closely intertwined in the bargaining process.

“The CEO’s suggestion that our members don’t understand the wage offer is patronizing and insulting to us. They are actively engaged in the negotiations, with the union’s bargaining committee being composed of liquor group members who lead the process,” he said.

The MGEU spokesperson further refuted MLL’s suggestion that members lacked an understanding of the offer on the table, adding: “The details of the employer’s final offer were thoroughly presented to the members at ratification meetings, where the offer was overwhelmingly rejected. The members provided a strike mandate to the bargaining committee after being fully informed about the offer.

Regarding MLL’s claim of striving for a fair and reasonable agreement, the MGEU spokesperson expressed skepticism, citing the corporation’s alleged intention to wait out the strike for 60 days. “This move was perceived as potentially coercive or indicative of a lack of genuine intent to bargain. The union are committed to advocating for fair wage increases that align with the cost of living,” he added.

Information obtained from the MGEU alleged that the senior executives responsible for liquor operations at MLL have taken significant pay raises, well in excess of the Progressive Conservative government’s wage mandate for front-line workers.

“We met with the conciliator on Wednesday and shared with him our members’ views on what a fair wage settlement looks like. Unfortunately, there continues to be no movement of any kind on the part of the government and the corporation — in fact, contrary to the CEO’s public statements yesterday, their position has not changed since early July,” MGEU president Kyle Ross said in a statement shared with the media on Wednesday.

Ross added that Premier Heather Stefanson’s restrictive wage mandate has clearly left the CEO with no room to negotiate.

“That’s why he is resorting to desperate moves like threatening to hire more replacement workers,” he said. “Premier Stefanson needs to lift her restrictive wage mandate so that the Corporation can negotiate fair wages for its dedicated employees.”

Meanwhile, one out of the four stores in Brandon — situated at 1015 Victoria Ave. — was open between noon and 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The other three Liquor Mart stores in Brandon’s south end, Corral Centre and the west end were inaccessible to customers.

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