WINNIPEG, Treaty 1 – The largest health care strike in Manitoba in over a decade began on Wednesday, March 6 at 12:00 am, with 160 health care support workers at Ten Ten Sinclair Inc. officially on strike.
“After all they’ve been through, these health care workers are literally being left out in the cold”, said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba.
“It is 2024, and no health care worker in Manitoba should be left behind. We are calling on the WRHA to step up immediately and support these front-line workers”.
Negotiations continued into the night on March 5, but the WRHA and employer were unable to provide a fair deal for the health care workers by the midnight strike deadline.
Due to the previous government’s attack on public services, workers at Ten Ten Sinclair have seen their wages increase by only 1.75% since 2016, while the cost of living has increased by 25%.
Health care aides at Ten Ten Sinclair are making less than other health care workers across the WRHA.
“Everything wrong in health care in Manitoba is manifesting itself at Ten Ten Sinclair: rather than paying experienced workers a fair wage that helps with recruitment and retention, we are seeing health care workers forced out on strike and replaced by private agency workers,” said McKay.
“The government and WRHA had a real opportunity to show front-line health care workers that they matter, but these health care workers are being left out in the cold – it is truly disappointing”.
Pickets are beginning at 10 am, March 6, at 1010 Sinclair Street in Winnipeg.
Approximately 160 health care workers and supervisors will be on strike, the majority are health care aides.
Ten Ten Sinclair Inc. is a non-profit organization supporting people living with disabilities and other challenges, and receives funding from the WRHA.
The last major strike in health care took place in 2013 at Vista Park Lodge in Winnipeg.