MGEU members reject offer
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/10/2023 (926 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union working in the civil service have voted to reject the government’s current contract offer, providing their bargaining committee with an unequivocal strike mandate.
“This is the first time in MGEU history that civil service members have voted to give their bargaining committee a strike mandate,” MGEU president Kyle Ross stated.
“I think that tells you something. Public sector workers have had enough of the outgoing government’s two per cent wage mandate and are prepared to take strike action if they don’t get a fair deal.”
In a statement shared with the media on Friday, Ross stated that over the past two weeks, MGEU members in the civil service cast their votes on the employer’s current contract offer, which proposed two per cent general wage increases annually for a four-year period.
The results of this crucial vote, he stated were communicated during the lunch hour, revealing the strong rejection of the proposed agreement.
“This does not mean the civil service is going on strike tomorrow. The goal here is to get back to the bargaining table and get a fair deal. A strike is the last resort, but our members have said clearly that they are prepared to go there if necessary,” he added.
There is newfound optimism that a fair deal can be reached through negotiations, given the promises of Premier-elect Wab Kinew regarding labour relations.
“Premier-elect Wab Kinew and his team walked the picket lines with workers on strike at MPI and MBLL. He told members, ‘I have your back.’ We hope this means there will be a new approach at the bargaining table,” he added.
Ross highlighted the stark contrast between the two per cent wage increases offered to provincial workers and the 3.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent wage hikes that all MLAs, including the incoming premier, are granting themselves.
“All MLAs, including the incoming premier, are taking wage increases that are tied to Manitoba’s inflation rate,” Ross said.
“If 3.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent wage increases are fair for them, it should also be fair for their employees.”
» The Brandon Sun