News

CUPE Manitoba condemns Sask Premier’s use of Notwithstanding Clause to override Human Rights of students

by

CUPE Manitoba President Gina McKay is joining labour leaders from across Canada today outside the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina to condemn Premier Scott Moe’s attempt to override the human rights of students by using the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On September 29, an injunction was granted temporarily blocking legislation in Saskatchewan that would require teachers to disclose to parents if students were using different pronouns. In response, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that he would be reopening the legislature on October 10 to pass the homophobic legislation through use of the notwithstanding clause of the Charter.

“Premier Moe is attempting to trample the Charter rights of children for partisan reasons that are based in ignorance and homophobia,” said McKay. “This has nothing to do with ‘protecting children’; in reality, it’s about targeting vulnerable people and making them less safe.”

“In Ontario, we saw the Conservative Ford government threaten use of the notwithstanding clause against striking education support workers. And now we have Premier Moe using it to try to override the rights of Queer, Trans, Non-Binary, and Two Spirit students” said McKay.

According to Daniel Richards, CUPE Manitoba’s 2SLGBTQI+ Diversity VP, “Premier Moe must understand that he does not get to pick and choose what human rights to respect and what to override and trample. Human Rights are not optional, they are universal and inalienable, and Canada’s labour movement will always stand united with marginalized people under attack, and this is no exception.”

“Regardless of what province or territory, conservative leaders like Moe must understand that the rights of Trans people are not up for debate,” said McKay. “Good people will never sit idly by while the rights of vulnerable people are under attack.”

At the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Convention in May, delegates unanimously passed an emergency resolution calling on Unions to condemn hate across Canada. CUPE Manitoba has signed on to the action team to defend the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ workers and communities and will actively condemn the rising hate in all communities where CUPE members work and live.

To learn more about the ways that Unions and communities are working to condemn hate, click on the following links below:

Both Gina McKay and Daniel Richards are taking on active roles in Manitoba, alongside numerous 2SLGBTQI+ activists from CUPE and the labour movement, and encourage Union members to join the movement.

To learn more about the ways that you can show your support for 2SLGBTQI+ rights, visit: https://canadianlabour.ca/campaigns/pride-action-team/

-30-

For Information, contact Andrew Loewen, CUPE Manitoba: 204.259.0323 / aloewen@cupe.ca

CUPE Manitoba Recognizes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

by

September 30th is the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. CUPE Manitoba is committed to support reconciliation and justice for all Indigenous Peoples. It is also the tenth Orange Shirt Day, a chance to honour the memories of the Indigenous children whose lives were lost in the residential school system, and recognize the strength of the survivors and their families.

CUPE Manitoba is committed to decolonizing through leadership. Today, our members are honoured to join people throughout this province and our country on this day of reflection and learning. And we are committed to working year-round in pursuit of meaningful, lasting reconciliation.

Action is needed to honour the children who didn’t make it home. Click below to learn how to build meaningful ReconciliACTION into your Local:

https://cupe.ca/event/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation

#OrangeShirtDay #EveryChildMatters #NationalTRCDay

If you are a residential school survivor or family member and require emotional support, there is a 24-hour Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.

Statement from CUPE Manitoba President Gina McKay on Premier Stefanson’s Truth and Reconciliation week political ad campaign

by
Image of Progressive Consevative "Stand Firm" election billboard

Photo Credit: Alex Karpa, Winnipeg City News

Statement:

Any leader who chooses to launch ad campaigns to ‘stand firm’ against finding the remains of missing and murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit Persons during Truth and Reconciliation Week is not worthy of being elected to the highest office in the province.

As a proud Métis, I’d like to remind Premier Stefanson that Manitoba was founded by Métis leader Louis Riel. The contrast between his legacy and her choices this week make it clear, she is unfit to be the leader of this province. She’s not qualified to represent the First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Indigenous people of Manitoba who deserve respect, justice, and a commitment to all calls to action for Truth and Reconciliation and to find Manitoba’s MMIWG2S.

– 30 –
For information, contact: Katherine Norton, CUPE Communications at 306-510-6706

CUPE Manitoba Recognizes School Support Staff Recognition Week – Sept 25-29

by

The Province of Manitoba has declared the week of September 25-29 as School Support Staff Recognition Week.

Because of CUPE, the Manitoba Government has recognized the hard work of school support staff since 2013 and has set aside this important week to acknowledge the value of school support staff to our education system.

“School support staff across Manitoba are critical to the success of children, youth and our shared community” says Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “School support staff keep our schools safe and clean, get our kids to school safely, keep our schools running, and help our children and youth learn, grow, and succeed.”

Despite this, in the last few years school support staff at numerous school divisions have had to push for fairness in the workplace, and even went on strike, including CUPE 1630 custodians and cleaners at Rolling River School Division

“While we take the time to celebrate our school support staff, we also urge the provincial government and school divisions to prioritize treating all staff with respect and work harder to ensure fairness in the workplace, which in-turn creates a more inclusive, safer, and better education system for everyone”.

CUPE Manitoba launched our annual ad, encouraging the community to “thank your school support staff”, reminding Manitobans that these staff are the pillars of our K-12 school system.

Download a copy of the Proclamation

Listen to our CUPE Manitoba School Division Sector Radio Ad:

CUPE represents school support staff, including education assistants, custodians, cleaners, school bus drivers, library technicians, intercultural and community liaisons, tradespersons, office administrative staff, and more in 25 school divisions across Manitoba.

 

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

Statement from CUPE Manitoba President Gina McKay on anti-trans hate actions across Canada

by

It’s been deeply troubling to witness the surge of anti-trans hate movements across the country. Worse, to see self-interested right-wing politicians use the safety of children as tokens in their calculated games.

The safety of kids and the 2SLGBTQI+ community has to be paramount in the face of fear, conspiracy theories, disinformation and hate rallies, like the ones being held across Manitoba today. Now, more than ever, the labour movement needs to reaffirm our commitment to support the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

The Conservative politicians who are using the safety of children as a justification for hate are hypocrites.
In Manitoba – where one in five children live in poverty, where child hunger rates lead the nation, where cuts to classrooms leave kids without the support they need and where emergency rooms families used to rely upon are shuttered – any actions veiled as concern for kids from the Stefanson PCs needs to be rejected outright.

CUPE Manitoba will always reject hate and bigotry in all their forms. Our Union fully supports 2SLGBTQI+ inclusive education, which helps to represent the diversity of families in Manitoba and upholds the rights of children, youth, families, and workers.

As Unionists, “we should neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment” (CUPE Equality Statement).

Together, we will add our voices and our solidarity by joining peaceful counter-protests throughout Manitoba and Ontario. We will unite as CUPE members to put our Equality Statement into action on September 20th, 2023.

We can use our voices, activism, and allyship to counter misinformation, advocate for safer & inclusive spaces, and condemn the hate housed in the parental rights movement the PC Government is campaigning on.

In Manitoba, and across Canada, many organizations are working hard to educate workers on creating safer communities. Click below to learn more:

Let’s work together and commit to condemning hate in our workplaces and communities, together.

 

Solidarity!

 

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.

 

Happy Labour Day!

by

A Labour Day greeting, from President, Gina McKay:

Sisters, Brothers, Friends,

On behalf of CUPE Manitoba, I want to wish all 37,000 CUPE members in Manitoba a Happy Labour Day!

Labour Day holds an important significance in our country and in our communities, from coast to coast to coast.

In Manitoba, it is a day when we recognize the tireless efforts and commitments of workers and their families, and celebrate the important roles each and every one of us plays in building safer, stronger public services in our province.

This year more than ever, is a year to come together to build Union power through solidarity & political action in Manitoba.

As workers, we have seen our wages, jobs, livelihoods, and services cut and limited for over 7 long years under the PCs.

Ongoing cuts and ongoing underfunding in all of our work – healthcare, social services, education, child care, long term care, municipal services, libraries, public utilities, and family emergency services.

I’m reminded that the important work we are doing in Manitoba keeps our communities supported – and we’ve done this work through some of the most difficult times in our working history.

The work each of you are doing stitches together a strong net for Manitobans, and this Labour Day, we recognize and thank you for this work!

And now, let’s also renew our solidarity and build Union power in our province to fight for better wages and benefits, pensions for all members, improved working conditions, safer and more inclusive spaces, and stronger public services.

Let’s come together to build this movement, and demand commitments for CUPE members in Manitoba.

We’ve ignited this spark at CUPE Manitoba, and the time is now to build this movement together. Our province works because we do.

Have a restful and inspiring Labour Day!

In solidarity,

Gina McKay

President
CUPE Manitoba

Manitoba government forges ahead with problematic P3 school plan

by

WINNIPEG – The Manitoba Progressive Conservative government is moving ahead with their plan to build new schools using an unaccountable, costly, and problematic model, says CUPE Manitoba.

“The Stefanson Government is making a big mistake by building nine new schools under the public-private partnership (P3) model,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “P3 schools are less accountable to the public, cost more, and often have restrictive rules over what teachers and staff can do in the classroom.”

The Manitoba government cites Saskatchewan as being evidence of the benefits of P3 schools, but the actual evidence proves otherwise.

In Regina, teachers weren’t allowed to decorate classrooms or open windows in P3 schools, while the Leader Post reported that Saskatchewan is spending four times more per school for maintenance on their P3 schools.

In Nova Scotia the government has had to “buy back” their P3 schools because it was too expensive to keep the lease, while in New Brunswick the Auditor General found that the P3 school process was not transparent and did not prove that P3 schools were cheaper.

P3 schools have also had restrictions on what can be done in the classroom because the private partner did not want to incur costs, something Manitoba Consumer Protection and Government Services Minister James Teitsma has recognized, indicating that chemistry teachers might not be permitted to fully teach the curriculum out of fears that science experiments might “unfairly” cost the private partner more.

“P3 schools cost taxpayers more, so private companies can take a cut of profit from our public school divisions,” said McKay. “The PC’s underfunding of Manitoba schools has already led to problems, and now they want more education funding going to private, for-profit companies rather than into our classrooms.”

When first elected, the Progressive Conservative government’s first order of business was to scrap P3 Accountability Legislation in Manitoba, paving the way for unaccountable P3s in our schools.

When the PC government first tried to introduce P3 schools to Manitoba, they found that it was actually cheaper and faster to build schools the way they have always been built.

In a cynical move today, the PCs set the deadline for their Request for Qualifications as October 4, the day after the Manitoba provincial election.

“The PCs know that P3 schools are controversial and have problems across Canada, yet they are still trying to bind Manitobans into a bad deal,” said McKay. “October 3 is election day, and if Manitobans want to stop Stefanson’s unaccountable P3 agenda, then use your voice at the ballot box to vote them out.”

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than 715,000 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.