Bargaining

Municipal workers in The Pas call on town council for fairness

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The Pas – CUPE Local 745 is calling on town council to stand up for the municipal employees who work tirelessly for the community.

 

“As municipal workers in The Pas, we are proud of the services we provide to the community,” said John Gislason President of CUPE 745. “We are calling on town council to show us respect for the work we do”.

 

The collective agreement between the Town of The Pas and CUPE Local 745, representing the town’s municipal workers, expired in December 2014. Both parties have been negotiating since, and on August 31st members voted in favour of a strike mandate.

 

“It’s approaching a year since our contract expired, and now is the time for town council to stand up for its workers and negotiate a fair contract” said Gislason. “The people of The Pas value our work, but why doesn’t council?”

 

On Wednesday, December 16th, members of CUPE 745 will be presenting to town council at 6 p.m., highlighting the need to work together. Town workers will also focus on the need to ensure municipal workers are treated fairly and with respect.

 

“Residents of The Pas have always supported town workers because they know the kind of work we do every day,” said Gislason. “We’re looking for the same support from town council to help us achieve a fair contract”.

 

Outstanding issues include fair wages for the work municipal workers perform, and an opportunity to sit down with management to discuss implementation of job evaluations for clerical positions.

 

A strike deadline has not yet been established in order to give town council an opportunity to hear out its workers.

Workers at Agape House women’s shelter prepared to strike for fair wages, support for workers who face domestic violence

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Steinbach, Manitoba – On November 9, 2015, members of CUPE Local 2348 at Agape House women’s shelter in Steinbach, Manitoba voted 100% in favour of strike action in order to place pressure on their employer to secure fair wages and new language in their collective agreement that would ensure policy to support employees who are victims of domestic violence.

On November 16th, the Province of Manitoba announced that paid leave would be extended to victims of domestic violence, recognizing that people in these situations need the time and space to seek help.

While this announcement is excellent news for victims of domestic violence province-wide, enshrining supportive language in workplace contracts should be every employer’s next step.

“In addition to staff at Agape House tabling proposals at the bargaining table over such provisions, it is important to stress that people from all walks of life are subject to domestic violence,” said Kelly Moist President of CUPE Manitoba, “nobody experiencing violence should have to choose between going work or seeking shelter and help.”

Members of CUPE Local 2348 at Agape House held an info picket outside Steinbach City Hall, on Wednesday, November 18th to raise awareness on domestic violence in the workplace as well as fair treatment for women’s shelter staff.

A study conducted by the University of Western Ontario and the Canadian Labour Congress that focused on the impacts of domestic violence in the workplace found that 91.5% of over 8,000 respondents reported that they thought domestic violence impacts the lives of workers.  The survey also found that employers lose close to $80 million dollars every year due to the impact of domestic violence in the workplace.

“Workers at Agape House are on the front line in protecting and supporting victims of domestic violence,” said Moist, “these workers deserve to be supported as well.”

CUPE Manitoba echoes calls for increased funding to women’s shelters province-wide in order to help provide staff with fair wages and supports to enable them to perform their important work. Currently staff at Agape House in Steinbach can make significantly less than those performing similar work in shelters in Winnipeg.

Tuxedo Villa workers on second day of info pickets, questions arise about state of privately owned long-term care in Manitoba

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Something is rotten in the state of Manitoba’s long-term care.

Over the past year, hundreds of Manitoba’s long-term care workers have been pushed to take labour action in an attempt to achieve fair wages and safe working conditions.

Maples Personal Care Home (July, 2013), Lions Housing Personal Care Home (August, 2013), Vista Park Lodge (September, 2013), Hillcrest Place (March, 2014), and Tuxedo Villa (July, 2014) have all voted to strike within the past year.

Vista Park Lodge workers, represented by UFCW Local 832 were on legal strike for nearly two months before achieving an offer that was even remotely acceptable. Most of the other facilities noted above (represented by CUPE) have engaged in public info pickets outside their personal care homes in an effort to raise awareness to their cause. In October of 2013, hundreds of personal care home workers from across Manitoba gathered at the steps of the legislature in a large rally, calling on the province for help.

Their concerns are quite straight forward: they want fair wages, and they want adequate staffing levels.

But why is it that staff in so many personal care homes are taking this type of labour action? It’s not often that so many workers from an entire sector, in so many different facilities actually feel the need to strap on their boots and picket outside their places of employment. It is also no coincidence that Maples, Vista Park Lodge, Hillcrest, and Tuxedo Villa are all privately operated personal care homes, owned by Rivera and Extendicare, where the push to keep wages low is driven by the profit motive.

Most long-term care workers are women, middle aged, and many are newcomers to Canada – they are surviving paycheque to paycheque, and have family responsibilities to consider. But still they take the risk of standing up to their employers, and demanding fairness. These workers do everything to provide the best level of care possible to Manitobans who are residents of personal care homes. They are passionate about residents, and strive to give all they can to ensure the health and happiness of our elders.

All of these information pickets indicate that there is something wrong with the state of long-term care in Manitoba, particularly in the private sector. Whether it is unfair wages, or the issue of working short-staffed, the public needs to support these workers in their efforts to make working conditions in personal care homes better. This in turn will ensure that our elders receive the quality and level of care that they deserve.

Please join employees of Tuxedo Villa, CUPE Local 2180, in their second day of info pickets today, August 13.

When: 2pm –4:30pm

Where: Tuxedo Villa, 2060 Corydon ave.

Contact David Jacks at the CUPE Regional Office at (204) 942-0343 for more information.

Photos:

Tuxedo Villa workers picket, August 2014
Tuxedo Villa workers picket, August 2014
Info pickets at Maples Personal Care Home, July, 2013
Info pickets at Maples Personal Care Home, July, 2013
Info pickets at Lions Housing Personal Care Home, July 2013
Info pickets at Lions Housing Personal Care Home, July 2013
UFCW 832 on strike, Sept-Oct 2013
UFCW 832 on strike, Sept-Oct 2013
Long term care rally, October 2013
Long term care rally, October 2013

CUPE Local 2180 Info Pickets: Unite for Fairness!

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Please join members of CUPE Local 2180 (Tuxedo Villa Personal Care Home) in their second info picket, calling for fair wages and respect in their workplace.10553694_911722328842248_5154465592155446786_o

Members held a very successful picket on August 6th, including an appearance from Paul Moist, CUPE National President, Kelly Moist, CUPE Manitoba President, and Jack Rodie, CUPE Manitoba President from 1965 – 1981.

More details on CUPE 2180’s bargaining position can be found here.

You are invited to support this week’s picket! All locals, unions, and supporters are welcome to join us!

Wednesday August 13th

2:00pm – 4:30 pm

Tuxedo Villa, 2060 Corydon

CUPE Manitoba Celebrates Major Victory for Assisted Community Living Workers

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Community Living Selkirk Employees Postpone Strike Action, Province Commits Funding

SELKIRK – CUPE Local 3085, representing employees at Assisted Community Living Selkirk, has postponed a strike that was due to 10475963_903284353019379_5050551270010792450_obegin Friday morning, August 8, 2014. In a welcomed move to support Assisted Community Living (ACL) employees in Manitoba, the provincial government announced today that $6 million in new funding will be earmarked to ensure ACL workers, province-wide, receive fair wages for their important work in supporting Manitobans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“We are extremely pleased that the government of Manitoba has heard our call to support ACL workers” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba, “our members at CUPE Local 3085 worked diligently to raise awareness on the dire need for adequate funding for ACLs in Manitoba”.

On July 9th CUPE Local 3085 members voted 94% in favour of strike action, and held information pickets in Selkirk on July 15th and 22nd , as well as a demonstration on July 25th outside the office of Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Family Services and Housing, in an effort to support funding for ACL workers.

“Many ACL workers live below the poverty line, despite being such an integral part of the lives of countless Manitobans who live with disabilities” said Moist, “ensuring adequate funding for wages for these workers means that ACLs will be able to recruit and retain the dedicated staff they need to provide these important services”.

Assisted Community Living organizations are non-profit support services that provide residential care to Manitobans living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Services include, 24 hour supervision, recreational supports, help with meals, medication, and integration into the community which helps Manitobans with intellectual disabilities live with dignity and respect.

“Employees at Community Living Selkirk take pride in the work they do” said Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative “because of CUPE Local 3085’s dedication to their work and their willingness to stand up for fairness, we have helped to achieve fair standardized wages for all ACLs across Manitoba”.

The provincial government announced $6 million in funding to help ensure that ACL workers across the province are compensated fairly for the work they do. This funding was desperately needed to recruit and retain dedicated staff who in-turn are able to provide the type of consistency in care that Manitobans with intellectual and developmental disabilities need on a day-to-day basis.

“Many ACLs have reached a critical juncture in which retaining staff has become a major issue, and at Community Living Selkirk it became such an issue that staff were prepared to strike in order to bring attention to the dire need for funding” said Capar, “in fighting for fairness for themselves, employees at Community Living Selkirk have helped achieve fairness for everyone in the Assisted Community Living sector”.

CUPE Local 3085 represents approximately 100 employees at Community Living Selkirk providing residential support services to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities. CUPE represents over 600 ACL workers province-wide.

Click here to read the full Province of Manitoba media release