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CUPE MB Recognizes the National Workers’ Day of Mourning

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April 28 is the National Workers’ Day of Mourning for workers injured or killed on the job.

The Workers’ Day of Mourning was created by CUPE members more than 40 years ago to remember those who lost their lives on the job and to inspire workers to fight to prevent further tragedies.

This year, we mourn the loss of two members of our CUPE family:

Jennifer Doucette, CUPE 1630, Manitoba

Steven Seekins, CUPE 374, British Columbia.

Their deaths are a stark reminder of the risks that workers face every day and the urgent need to make every workplace safer.

As trade unionists, it is our responsibility to continue the fight to protect workers. All workers need to know about the four workers’ rights enshrined in every health and safety law in the country:

  1. The right to refuse work you consider unsafe until an investigation is conducted
  2. The right to participate in deciding what is safe in the workplace and to report hazards
  3. The right to information on any hazard in the workplace that may cause harm, and how to prevent that harm
  4. The right to be free from reprisal for carrying out any of the other rights or any other requirement of health and safety law.

Creating a safe work environment is a shared responsibility. Employers need to listen to workers and work together with them to find solutions to health and safety issues. Health and safety committees are key to this process. These groups bring workers and employers together to talk about how to make workplaces safer and to tackle problems when they come up.

Find CUPE Health and Safety Resources here.

This year, the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) and Safe Workers of Tomorrow (SWOT) are marking the National Day of Mourning on April 26, 2024. The Leaders’ Walk will begin at 11:30 am, leaving from the Union Centre and proceeding down Broadway to the Workers Memorial at Memorial Park (across from the Legislature). A Day of Mourning Ceremony will be held at the Workers Memorial beginning at Noon and concluding with a Vigil for Fallen Workers.

Manitoba budget step in the right direction to improve public services – CUPE Manitoba

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Gina McKay speaks to media at the Manitoba Budget

Winnipeg, Treaty 1 – Manitoba’s largest union is applauding the NDP government’s first budget, which should help address chronic understaffing in healthcare, childcare, municipal services, and education.

“Hiring 600 health care aides will help fill the staffing holes created by the previous government”, said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “We hear every day from health care support staff across Manitoba who are calling for backup, and now the help is coming”.

The budget includes beginning new Emergency Rooms at the Victoria Hospital and in Eriksdale. The new budget also aims to address the long-standing issue of staffing shortages in long-term care.

“Increasing the direct hours of care in long term care will ensure residents get the care they need”, said McKay. “We would like to see minimum standards legislated, so facilities are legally required to ensure adequate levels of care at all times”.

CUPE Manitoba is also pleased that the two new schools planned for Winnipeg will not be using the P3 model (Public-Private Partnership) – a model that has failed elsewhere in Canada. CUPE members in Brandon mobilized against proposed P3 schools under the previous government.

“CUPE is relieved that the Minister of Education has made the right call in ensuring our new schools are fully public,” said McKay. “Public-Private Partnerships have ultimately cost taxpayers more in other jurisdictions, and we are glad this government is being fiscally prudent”.

The budget also ends the long-standing freeze on municipal funding, which should help municipalities across the provinces invest in community services. This includes new funding for a public library strategy. CUPE expects that new infrastructure projects, including wastewater treatment upgrades will not be done using the P3 model.

The NDP budget is “night and day” when compared to the previous PC government’s austerity agenda, and takes steps to address issues of social inequality in Manitoba.

“The government is moving forward on important initiatives including increased supports for disABILITY services, a safe consumption site, and taking steps on MMIWG2S+ such as searching the Prairie Green landfill,” said McKay. “This government is making it clear that they will listen to equity-seeking groups and act, we look forward to continue to be at the table”.

Highlights for CUPE members include:

Health care

  • 600 health care aides hired for home care, personal care homes, hospitals, and community care.
  • A new Emergency Room at the Victoria Hospital, and new Mature Women’s Centre.
  • Beginning phase one of a new Emergency Room in Eriksdale.
  • New personal care homes in Lac du Bonnet, Aarborg, and Winnipeg.
  • New Seniors’ Advocate (CUPE has been calling for this since 2013).
  • Addition of acute and lower-acuity beds in Brandon, Selkirk, ad Winnipeg.
  • Institutional Safety Officers in health care settings, who are CUPE members.
  • Improving medical transportation and MRI coverage for rural and Northern Manitoba.

Child Care and Education

  • Increased funding for K-12 education by 3.4%.
  • $3 million to help reduce class sizes in K-3.
  • Two new schools in Winnipeg, which will include childcare centres.
  • $20.9 million to support new child-care spaces and increase of $5 million in new provincial funding for wages for child care workers and staffing childcare spaces.
  • The provincial government is not pursuing the P3 model for the new schools.
  • $104.2 million in education funding, including $30 million for a universal school nutrition program.
  • Expanding $10/day daycare to non-school days, including in-service days, spring and summer breaks.

Social Services and Equity

  • Increase of nearly $20 million for Community Living disABILITY services.
  • New supervised consumption site, addiction treatment beds, and harm reduction services.
  • Searching the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman).
  • Funding for new social and affordable housing units, and $5 million for new incentives to end chronic homelessness.

Municipalities

  • Lifting the municipal funding freeze, including an increase of $51.6 million to operating grants and $7.3 million to capital grants.
  • Funding for recreation including in Thompson, Brandon, and Lorette.
  • $1.2 million for new public libraries funding model, including new money for rural and Northern libraries.

More information and the full budget document can be found here.

 

President McKay and MFL President Kevin Rebeck
President McKay and Local 204 President Margaret Schroeder

Strike at Ten Ten Sinclair ends, workers achieve significant gains – CUPE

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Health care workers at Ten Ten Sinclair have voted 97% to accept a new deal after four years without a new contract.

“Front-line health care support workers at Ten Ten Sinclair stood up and demanded fair wage increases and won,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “After over two weeks on strike, these workers have achieved significant gains, and are heading back to work to care for the people they love”.

The new contract includes general wage increases, wage adjustments, an additional pay step, a long-service premium, double overtime rates, and significantly increased shift premiums. Workers will be receiving significant retro-pay and a signing bonus.

During the term of the contract, the top rate for a trained health care aide will increase from $18.06/hour to $22.54/hour, an improvement of $4.48. All health care workers will receive a minimum cumulative wage increase of over 20% by 2025.

When you include the value of the long-service step and shift premiums, long-serving health care aides will see their compensation increase by over 30% during the six-year agreement.

The new agreement also includes a Memorandum of Understanding to continue discussions between CUPE, Ten Ten Sinclair, and the WRHA on the facilities status in the WRHA.  CUPE will continue to advocate that Ten Ten Sinclair be recognized as a health care site that is covered under both health care essential services and WRHA “central table” health care bargaining.

“The strike at Ten Ten Sinclair really highlighted the value of front-line health care support workers, and the diverse needs of Manitobans in the health care system,” says McKay.

“We are inspired by the courage of these workers in stepping up and fighting for the benefit of all health care workers and the Manitobans they care for, and we are grateful for the tenants of Ten Ten Sinclair and the public for their support”.

CUPE will work with Ten Ten Sinclair on facilitating workers schedules to return to work. The strike is officially over.

CUPE 4376 and 2348 represent approximately 160 workers at Ten Ten Sinclair Inc.

Winnipeg Health Care Workers on Strike

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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.

Health Care Workers at Ten Ten Sinclair Set Strike Date

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WINNIPEG – Approximately 160 health care workers at Ten Ten Sinclair Inc. have set a strike date of March 6, 2024, calling on the independent living organization to offer front-line staff fair wages.

“Health care support staff at Ten Ten Sinclair have been working tirelessly to support our community, but are being treated like they don’t matter,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “These workers provide front-line health care to persons living with disabilities, with mental health challenges, and others in our community who need the support, and they deserve to be treated fairly”.

Staff at Ten Ten Sinclair were subject to the previous government’s wage freeze, and with the rising cost of living these workers are being left far behind other health care workers.

“All the staff at Ten Ten Sinclair want is to be recognized for the work they do every day, including throughout the pandemic,” said McKay. “No health care worker should be left behind”.

CUPE Locals 4376 and 2348 are preparing for strike action and are planning information pickets outside the main facility at 1010 Sinclair Ave in the coming weeks.

“We don’t want a strike to happen, but at the end of the day these CUPE members are standing up for what’s right: fairness for health care support workers,” said McKay. “It’s time to care for the workers who provide care, and we are calling on Ten Ten Sinclair and the government to support these critical front-line health workers”.

Ten Ten Sinclair Inc. is a non-profit organization that receives funding from the WRHA.

CUPE Manitoba welcomes new federal-provincial health commitments

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Winnipeg, Treaty 1 ¬¬– The union that represents 18,000 health care support workers in the WRHA, Shared Health, Northern Regional Health Authority, and Southern Health-Santé Sud is welcoming the new federal funding commitments for health care.

“Health care support workers are the pillars of the health care system, but are often left without much support,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “Funding that focuses on recruitment and retention for health care support workers and others in health care is critical to ensuring quality health services and staff who feel supported”.

The announcement included the Working Together agreement of $434 million over three years that includes adding more support staff, doctors, and nurses, and specifically mentions the importance of recruitment and retention of health care workers.

“18,000 health care support workers represented by CUPE in Manitoba are about to enter negotiations to ask for fair wages and stronger supports in the workplace,” said McKay. “The previous government in Manitoba did little to support health care workers, and even tried imposing a wage freeze on them, so we are relieved that the federal government and new NDP provincial governments recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining health care workers”.

CUPE Manitoba also applauds the new Aging with Dignity agreement of $199 million in funding over five years to expand home, community health, and long-term care, as well as dementia programming.

“Supporting public home care and public long-term care is critical to ensuring our seniors, older persons, and elders can live with dignity, and hiring 100 new public home care workers is welcome,” said McKay. “There has been a growing number of for-profit home care agencies and long-term care facilities in Manitoba, and we are pleased to hear Premier Kinew commit to funding universal public health care, and supporting the staff who work tirelessly for our community”.

CUPE Manitoba looks forward to working with the provincial government as a key stakeholder in the rollout of the new funding for health care.

Learn more about the announcement here.

CUPE MB Condemns Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s Attack on Trans and Gender-Diverse Youth

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CUPE Manitoba joins CUPE National in strongly condemning the recent measures introduced by Premier Smith of Alberta regarding gender policies for children and youth.

CUPE Manitoba Executive Board representative for 2SLGBTQIA+ members Daniel Richards says, “This is a direct attack on the 2SLGBTQIA+ and trans and gender-diverse community rooted in hate, bigotry, division, and distraction.”

“These oppressive measures clearly contradict expert guidance and evidence. The policy is a direct violation of the constitutional rights of Alberta youth. These policies will lead to serious personal suffering and damage for affected young people,” says Richards.

CUPE National’s statement notes, “These policies will rob teenagers in Alberta of information they need to make choices about their health, and the freedom to be their authentic selves at school.”

“Premier Smith must understand that she does not get to pick and choose what human rights to respect and what rights to and trample on,” says Richards.

CUPE Manitoba President Gina Mckay says “Canada’s labour movement will always stand united with marginalized people under attack, and this is no exception. Premier Smith must stop playing politics with the marginalized youth of Alberta and do the right thing and rescind these extreme measures.”

In Winnipeg today, February 05, there is a Rally for Trans Youth at the Legislative Building at 6:20 PM in protest of Alberta’s reactionary and bigoted policy plans. CUPE Manitoba encourages attendance at this event.

For more background and information, see CUPE’s Frequently Asked Questions sheet:
“RESIST ATTACKS THAT DIVIDE US: CUPE stands with trans people”

Manitoba Child Care Workers Call for Action

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WINNIPEG – Child care workers across Canada, including Manitoba, are joining the National Day for Early Learning and Child Care Day of Action on November 30.

“Parents, caregivers, and families across Manitoba continue to struggle with affordable, accessible child care in their communities,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “We are calling on all governments to address the nationwide child care crisis.”

The Manitoba government has done little in the past ten years to address child care recruitment and retention challenges in a significant way, despite the Federal government’s child care initiative that reduced fees on licensed child care for children under the age of six.

“Low-cost child care is important for so many families, but the reality is there are simply not enough child care spaces to meet the demand,” said Brittany Aube, President of CUPE 3060 representing workers at Brandon University Early Learning Centre Inc., Fuzzy Bears Inc., and Children’s Den Inc., in Brandon, Manitoba. “There are huge challenges accessing child care in Manitoba, especially in rural and Northern communities, and wages for child care workers are not keeping up.”

The new NDP government in Manitoba committed to “work with the child care sector to retain and recruit early childhood educators, create new, high-quality child care spaces” during the November 21 Speech from the Throne, a message CUPE Manitoba hopes will yield improvements.

“We hope the Manitoba government will be a nationwide leader in developing a strong, accessible child care system,” said Peggy Robichaud, who sits on CUPE’s National Child Care Working Group and represents child care workers with CUPE 2348. “There is some optimism among Manitoba’s child care sector that the new government will prioritize public and not-for-profit child care in the province, and front-line child care workers are eager to be partners to help make that happen.”

You can help take action on child care by joining the Child Care Now Day of Action open letter calling for the Federal government to fund new child care spaces and improvements to child care worker wages.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than 740,000 members.  In Manitoba, CUPE represents approximately 37,000 members working in health care facilities, personal care homes, home care, school divisions, municipal services, social services, child care centres, public utilities, libraries, and family emergency services.

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For information, contact:  David Jacks, CUPE Communications at 204-801-7339

Manitoba Throne Speech offers new hope to Manitoba’s public sector workers

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The NDP government’s first Throne Speech signals a new relationship between government and workers, says CUPE Manitoba.

“The new government has committed to fixing our public services and forging a stronger relationship with workers after years of neglect under the PCs,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “This Throne Speech is the first time we’ve felt hopeful in a long time.”

The Throne Speech recommits to many of the promises laid out by the NDP during the recent election campaign, notably investments in health care and support for health care workers.

“Between the cuts and closures in health care under the PCs and the previous government’s mismanagement of the COVID pandemic, health care workers in Manitoba have had an incredibly rough number of years,” said McKay.

“We are feeling optimistic that this government is committed to listening to frontline workers and brining in much-needed improvements like expanding home care and increasing hours of care in long-term care.”

CUPE Manitoba is hopeful that the new government will make good on its commitment to improve K-12 education and reduce class sizes.

“Workers in schools have also been struggling with understaffing and lack of support,” said McKay. “We look forward to meeting with the new government to discuss their plans to improve education and encourage them to scrap the PC government’s dangerous plans to introduce Public-Private Partnerships to our schools.”

Workers in Manitoba’s energy sector are also relieved that the new government will keep Manitoba Hydro public and is looking to enhance and support our crown corporations.

“Manitobans finally have a blueprint that doesn’t have cracks and holes,” said McKay. “We look forward to working with this new government to build a better province for everyone.”

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than 740,000 members. In Manitoba, CUPE represents approximately 37,000 members working in health care facilities, personal care homes, home care, school divisions, municipal services, social services, childcare centres, public utilities, libraries, and family emergency services.

CUPE Manitoba applauds NDP government’s commitments to workers

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October 27 — Today Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew released mandate letters to four Cabinet Ministers, outlining the expectations of the government to deal with health care, families, the environment, and labour & immigration.

“Manitoba’s workers are feeling hopeful with Premier Kinew’s vision for government,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “It has been too long since the government has taken the concerns of front-line worker seriously, and we are encouraged that this government has prioritized areas that will improve the lives of all Manitobans.”

CUPE Manitoba is pleased to see that Minister of Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care, Uzoma Asagwara, is tasked to address the critical staffing shortages across health care and will prioritize increasing staffing ratios in long-term care across the province, something CUPE Manitoba has called for over many years.

CUPE Manitoba also applauds the mandate for Minister of Families, Nahanni Fontaine, to increase wages for the disability support workers, as well as Minister of Labour and Immigration Malaya Marcelino, who has the task to make joining a union easier for workers across the province.

“This government is sending a clear message to Manitoba’s workers that ‘help is on the way’,” said McKay. “CUPE Manitoba is ready to offer our front-line expertise to help this government achieve their goals in making our province better for everyone.”