Long Term Care

News and information about our long-term care sector

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

by
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

CUPE Extendicare Locals Announce 99% Strike Mandate

by

  • Today at Extendicare’s Maples care home in Winnipeg, Locals 2719 and 1475 announced a 99% strike mandate vote
  • The private, FOR-PROFIT Maples was the site of Manitoba’s deadliest COVID outbreak in 2020, infecting 231 residents and staff, with 56 residents losing their lives
  • Extendicare has sent more than $84 million to shareholders since then, while denying its frontline staff full working hours and the same wages and benefits for identical work at public care homes
  • Local 2719 President and strike veteran Virginia Moncton spoke to CTV NEWS Winnipeg
  • Manitoba Health Coalition Director Thomas Linner spoke in solidarity and denounced profit in health care
  • CUPE members at 9 for-profit Extendicare care homes in Winnipeg and Brandon have received huge public support while holding information rallies to avoid a strike and to secure a fairly negotiated collective agreement

CUPE announcing Extendicare strike vote outcomes at Maples info rally

by

WINNIPEG – The Canadian Union of Public Employees will be sharing the results of strike votes by CUPE members at Extendicare Maples and Oakview Place at the next information rally.

CUPE Local 2719 President Virginia Monton and Manitoba Health Coalition Provincial Director Thomas Linner will join long-term care workers and allies at a rally at Extendicare Maples to raise awareness about the unfair offer from the for-profit care provider that continues to pay tens of millions in dividends to shareholders every quarter.

Extendicare Maples is one of nine Extendicare facilities in Winnipeg and Brandon and the facility was the subject of an external review after 157 residents were infected and 56 succumbed to COVID-19.

WHEN: Thursday, September 21, 2023
2:00 pm – 6:00pm (speeches begin at 2:15pm with interviews to follow)
WHERE: Extendicare Maples
500 Mandalay Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union, with over 36,000 members across Manitoba and 715,000 members across the country. The Manitoba Health Coalition (MHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan health care advocacy organization established to preserve universal, public health care.

– 30 –
For information, contact: Katherine Norton, CUPE Communications at 306-510-6706
Media Advisory
Canadian Union of Public Employees – cupe.mb.ca

Long Term Care workers Rally at Extendicare’s Oakview Place in Winnipeg

by

Monday, September 11, 2023 — Today members of CUPE Local 1475 in Winnipeg at Extendicare’s Oakview Place care home were joined by CUPE National President Mark Hancock, CUPE Manitoba President Gina McKay, Manitoba Federation of Labour President Kevein Rebeck, Local 204 President Debbie Boissonneault, NDP leader Wab Kinew and NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara, the Manitoba Nurses Union, and many others.

Today’s information rally kicks off three weeks of rallies outside 8 Extendicare facilities where CUPE members are at the bargaining table seeking fair wages and enough scheduled hours of work to live. Crucially, these frontline workers are seeking the same compensation paid for identical work in publicly operated care homes.

The private, for-profit care home operator Extendicare Inc. continues to distribute profits to shareholders ($41M in 2021-22), while denying fairness to its frontline care-giving staff.

There is significant disparity between the wages and contract of CUPE members working in Extendicare facilities and those working in publicly-run long-term care facilities:

  • Wages are $2-4 more in the public system across classifications
  • Public facility staff have access to time OT pay, compared to 1.5 time for OT for Extendicare staff
  • The night shift premium is over double what Extendicare staff receive
  • Extendicare staff receive $1.35-$1.50 as a weekend premium, compared to $8.00 for public facility staff
  • Public facility staff can access Long Service Pay and a health spending account that are not available to Extendicare staff
  • Defined benefit pensions for public facility staff with no guaranteed pensions for Extendicare staff.

 

Health Care Support Workers’ Recognition Day: October 18, 2022

by

CUPE is celebrating the work of its thousands of members in health care support roles across Manitoba. The Manitoba Government officially proclaimed October 18 as Health Care Support Workers’ Day.

“Health care support workers are the pillars of our health care system,” stated Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “They keep our health care system running, despite the government’s inability to provide adequate support to frontline health care workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“Despite working short-staffed, health care support workers in Manitoba have been doing everything possible to care for the community”, said Debbie Boissonneault, President of CUPE 204, representing facility and community support workers in the WRHA and Shared Health. “We call on the government to recognize our work by providing enough resources for us to do it effectively, and while we recently achieved a new agreement, we know more needs to be done”.

“Health care support workers are often unrecognized in their day-to-day work ,” said Holly Chaperon, President of CUPE 4270, representing facility and community support workers in Southern Health – Sante Sud. “We know who the Doctors and Nurses are, and how important their roles are in our lives. But, do you know who the support workers are? Support staff work tirelessly every single day, and deserve to be acknowledged.” 

“From Nunavut to the US border, Manitoba’s health care support workers deserve recognition and respect,” said Christine Lussier, President of CUPE 8600, representing facility and community support workers in the Northern Regional Health Authority. “It has been a difficult time for staff, especially in the North where we are working incredibly short-staffed every single day, but health care support workers in the NRHA continue to keep our community healthy”.

“Health care support workers who work in private personal care homes are working tirelessly to provide support to residents,” said Daniel Richards, Chair of the CUPE Manitoba Private Personal Care Home Committee. “These workers are also working short-staffed, and continue to call on the government to legislate mandatory minimum staffing requirements in care homes”.

Read the full declaration (English)

Read the full declaration (French)

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than 643,000 members. In Manitoba, CUPE represents approximately 37,000 members working in health care facilities, personal care homes, school divisions, municipal services, social services, child care centres, public utilities, libraries and family emergency services. CUPE Health care locals include CUPE 204, CUPE 500, CUPE 4270, and CUPE 8600.

Health Care Update re: Retro Pay (former employees)

by

Former employees are entitled to receive any applicable retroactive pay provided they request the retroactive pay from their former Employer in writing no later than ninety (90) days after the ratification date, September 23, 2022.

As part of the written request submitted the employee MUST include the following:

  • Email Subject line must state “Retro Request for (employee name) terminated employee(CUPE)”
  • Date of retirement/resignation
  • Name of the Employer that the employee is requesting retro payment from
  • Employee’s current mailing address
  • Direct deposit information, if it has changed since you were last employed

Employer Organization Contact

Northern
All sites – email Payroll – payroll@nrha.ca

Southern Health
All sites – email Payroll at Payrollsupport@southernhealth.ca

Shared Health
All sites on SAP – email RetroRequest@wrha.mb.ca

CancerCare Manitoba – email ccmbpayroll@cancercare.mb.ca

Rehabilitation Centre for Children – email kizzyp@rccinc.ca

Eden Mental Health Centre – email jfehr3@edenhealth.mb.ca

Winnipeg/Churchill     
All sites on SAP – email RetroRequest@wrha.mb.ca

CUPE Health Care Support Staff Ratify Seven-Year Deal

by

Update for CUPE health care support members

CUPE Health Care Support Staff from CUPE 204/Shared Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA), CUPE 500/WRHA – Riverview Health Centre and WRHA Corporate, CUPE 4270/ Southern Health-Santé Sud (SH-SS) and CUPE 8600/Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) have voted to accept the new collective agreement.

The ratification date is September 23, 2022.  The collective agreement will expire on March 31, 2024.

The new agreement includes wage increases in each year of the agreement including retroactive pay, a signing bonus for all members, an increase in shift premiums, improvements for the Community Programs/Home Care groups, a more flexible “single-day” vacation system for all members, double overtime and market adjustments.

“This was an incredibly difficult round of negotiations due to government interference, attempted wage freeze, disruptive restructuring, forced union amalgamations, and the pandemic” said Shannon McAteer, CUPE Health Care Coordinator.  “Despite these challenges, this new agreement sets a solid foundation for the next round of negotiations.”

The employer has 120 days within which to issue retroactive pay and the signing bonus. It will be issued on a separate pay deposit.  Former employees (retired or quit) have 90 days to write to the employer requesting retroactive pay they are owed following the rules posted on the Local’s website.

“We thank all CUPE members who took the time to vote either electronically or in person and are committed to continue to improve your contract,” said McAteer. “We will continue to hold the provincial government accountable and push back against any attacks on our public health care system and the workers who support it”.

Throughout negotiations, health care support staff have felt extremely disrespected by the current government–and continue to feel undervalued. Many members told us they voted not because they liked the deal, but because they couldn’t wait any longer.

In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Council

 

Health Care Contract Ratification Info Sessions

by

CUPE reached a tentative agreement on August 29, 2022.  CUPE will be hosting Info Sessions both in person and virtually via Zoom (see links below).

Members can attend any of the virtual or in-person meetings at the hotels/inns or halls or at their own Employer’s site.

The information is the same for everyone.  A video presentation will be available on the Locals’ websites or through your Local Executives starting Sept. 7, 2022.

 

IN-PERSON INFO SESSIONS for CUPE 204 members

 

DATE TIME PLACE
Wed., Sept. 7th 10 am to 7 pm Canad Inns Transcona (Ambassador A/B)
826 Regent Ave. W., Winnipeg
Thurs., Sept. 8th 10 am to 7 pm Canad Inns HSC (Ambassador A)

720 William Avenue, Winnipeg
Sat., Sept. 10th 10 am to 7 pm Canad Inns Polo Park (Ambassador 2)

1405 St. Matthews Avenue, Winnipeg
Tues., Sept. 13th 10 am to 7 pm St. Boniface Hospital (N-1012 Boardroom)

409 Taché Avenue, Winnipeg

 

HEALTH CARE RATIFICATION
VIRTUAL INFO SESSIONS

(open to all members)

Please download the FREE Zoom app.

DATE & TIME ZOOM MEETING LINK
Thurs., Sept. 8th

6 pm to 8 pm

 Click on link:

https://cupe-ca.zoom.us/j/86558261119?pwd=eU1ZWERXcE53VmJabWptaDZsazcyZz09

 

Or call #: 204-272-7920  /  Toll free #:  1-855-703-8985

 

Meeting ID: 865 5826 1119

Passcode: 541446

 
Sun., Sept. 11th

6 pm to 8 pm

 Click on link:

https://cupe-ca.zoom.us/j/86960066020?pwd=NFhibTFIY090QllxR2hhMFdTd3dHZz09

 

Or call #: 204-272-7920  /  Toll free #:  1-855-703-8985

 

Meeting ID: 869 6006 6020

Passcode: 391454

 
Wed., Sept. 14th

6 pm to 8 pm

 Click on link:

https://cupe-ca.zoom.us/j/86773423003?pwd=dlA2SGxBazZYQ2RrM2d4QlRoQ3lXZz09

 

Or call #: 204-272-7920  /  Toll free #: 1-855-703-8985

 

Meeting ID: 867 7342 3003

Passcode: 514044

 

 

The ratification votes will be done electronically
and will take place September 20th, 21st & 22nd.

Details will follow in the next week.