News

Thousands attend Steinbach Manitoba’s first Pride

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CUPE members from across Manitoba came together to march in solidarity in Steinbach Manitoba’s first annual Pride parade and celebration, Saturday July 9th.

While organizers originally expected roughly 200 participants, Manitobans gathered in numbers estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 to march, cheer, and support the Steinbach LGBTTI community.

“CUPE is proud to have participated in such an historic event,” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “CUPE members from across the province came out in support of the community in Steinbach, and it was an emotional and powerful day for us all”.

Steinbach Manitoba is often portrayed as part of the “Manitoba Bible Belt”, and is considered by many to be a very conservative community. Many local politicians refused to attend or acknowledge Steinbach Pride in the lead-up to the event, with Conservative Member of Parliament Ted Falk indicating his contempt for the event, and Conservative MLA Kevin Goertzen and Mayor Chris Goertzen not in attendance.

There has also been heated debate within the Hanover School Division over allowing students to organize “Gay Straight Alliances”, anti-bullying initiatives, as well as a policy that prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms.

Despite these challenges, Steinbach has proven itself to be a strong and welcoming community, with countless residents cheering the parade as it marched by. It was noted that not a single “counter-protest” took place, and the event was a positive, exciting, and empowering experience for everyone.

“Steinbach is at the forefront of this critical fight for human rights,” said Moist. “Hundreds of CUPE members work in Steinbach and area, and we stand with the entire community to ensure safe and inclusive workplaces for everyone”.

CUPE at Steinbach Pride

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This Saturday will be Steinbach’s first ever Pride March and celebration, and we are hoping to have a strong CUPE presence there.  We will be marching down the streets of Steinbach in support of our LGBTTQ* members and allies.

The march will begin from E.A. Friesen Park, and we are suggesting that CUPE folks meet and gather right outside of the park, at the corner of Elm St and Elmdale St. at 10:30am, so we can walk together in solidarity.  The march will conclude at City Hall, where there will be speeches and celebration.

CUPE has a strong reputation for fighting for all human rights and engaging in community events like this, where our members work and live.  Please consider marching with us on Saturday, rain or shine.

In addition to the Pride March for Equality Facebook page, the website for this event ishttp://www.steinbachpride.com  and has all the information you need.

Hope to see you Saturday!

In Solidarity,

Kelly MoistCUPE Manitoba President

CUPE Manitoba statement on Behavioural Health Foundation – Male Youth Program

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On behalf of CUPE Local 4792, representing staff at the Behavioural Health Foundation – Male Youth Program, we would like to express our deepest condolences and our unwavering support to the victims of the violent assaults that took place on May 29 against BHF staff.

No worker should ever have to face violence in the workplace. Everyone has the right to a safe work environment. CUPE is committed to work with the employer and Workplace Health & Safety to review protocols and safety procedures at BHF.

We offer our support to the victims of this incident and their families, and we will work diligently with all parties to address safety at BHF. CUPE 4792 has been in contact with our member.

We have also issued our concerns with respect to the closing of this important program, as well as the layoffs that will ensue.

The BHF Male Youth Program is a residential treatment program based in Selkirk Manitoba that provides intensive in-facility care and treatment to young men suffering from addictions and mental health issues.

Approximately 30 employees, represented by CUPE 4792 provide services to young men who seek support for addictions issues, are slated to be laid-off by the end of June due to funding shortages at the program.

Funding for the program has traditionally been issued through a per diem model, which only provides funding based on client use, rather than the long-term stable funding that is needed to maintain the program.

We are requesting that the new provincial government step in and provide much-needed long-term stable funding to save this important community program.

We are concerned that the closure of this program will not only impact the lives of the 30 employees who work there, but will negatively affect countless young men who are in need of crucial support.

Far too many social service agencies in Manitoba are underfunded; staff are overworked and under-paid. We must work together as a community to ensure stable, long-term funding to all social service agencies in Manitoba, and do everything in our power to ensure this type of violence never happens again.

Kelly Moist
President, CUPE Manitoba

Allen Bleich
CUPE National Representative

Manitoba budget offers minor funding increases to public services

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Social Impact Bonds give rise to concern

The Pallister Government’s first provincial budget offers minor improvements to many important areas of the public sector, says CUPE Manitoba.

“We are pleased to see this government’s continuation of funding to health care, education, post- secondary education, and social services,” says Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “In an environment where cuts would have been the ‘easy way out’, we are pleased that this government listened to Manitobans, and has instead maintained or increased funding to many key public services”.

CUPE Manitoba applauds funding commitments to the Aboriginal Academic Achievement Fund, which will help ensure Community Liaison Workers in the Winnipeg School Division have the tools they need to perform their important work. These workers were under threat of significant job losses and funding cuts in early 2015.

CUPE also hopes the new Premier’s Enterprise Team will include representatives from labour, which were included in the former government’s Premier’s Economic Advisory Council.

However, the government’s ongoing pursuit of Social Impact Bonds causes serious concern.

“While we are pleased that the Manitoba Government has not implemented major cuts, we are very concerned with this government’s ongoing promotion of Social Impact Bonds,” says Moist. “Social Impact Bonds are an abdication of government responsibility for marginalized or vulnerable people, and we must reject these profit-making schemes”.

Additionally, while many mandate letters to the newly appointed Ministers call for increased involvement from the private sector, including in childcare, there is no mention of increased private involvement in the budget documents.

“We still need to see how exactly this funding is rolled out,” says Moist. “We need a strong commitment from this government that they will not privatize or contract out any public services”.

Budget Highlights:

  • 3.5% increase to health
  • Funding increases to the Aboriginal Academic Achievement fund
  • 1.4 % increase to education with 2.5% increase to initiatives for at-risk youth, literacy
  • 2.5% operating grant increase to universities
  • 4.5% increase to Child and Family Services

Budget Lowlights:

  • Commitment to Social Impact Bonds
  • No commitment to oppose privatization and contracting out
  • No commitment to increasing the minimum wage

Charleswood Care Centre Employees Hold Info Pickets

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Winnipeg – Employees at Charleswood Care Centre are holding information pickets in an effort to raise public awareness that in Manitoba private, for-profit long-term care workers have very little financial security in retirement.

 

Members of CUPE Local 4281 rejected their employer’s final offer in a vote held in March 2016, and have been meeting with a provincial Conciliation Officer since in an effort to work towards securing a pension plan.

 

“The public understands that we need to support personal care home workers” states CUPE National Representative, Robyn Powell, “they are underpaid, overworked, and after decades of caring for the elderly, they too deserve dignity, security and respect in their golden years”.

 

Represented by CUPE Local 4281, employees at Charleswood Care Centre are health care aides, dietary aides, laundry and housekeeping aides, cooks, and recreation workers.

 

Meetings with a Conciliation Officer are scheduled for May 20th, to attempt to reach a fair deal, but public support is very important to staff.

 

Charleswood Care Centre is owned and operated by Revera Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the federal Public Sector Pension Investment Board. Many Revera facilities across Ontario are members of the Nursing Home and Related Industries Pension Plan (NHRIPP), while facilities such as Charelswood Care Centre here in Manitoba, are members of a group RRSP plan. CUPE is proposing that current employer and employee RRSP contributions instead be directed to the NHRIPP.

 

“We want to see staff at Charleswood rolled into the same plan that many Revera employees in Ontario belong to,” says Powell. “The pension plan structure already exists, but for some reason Revera is opposed to its employees in Manitoba being members of a pension plan, and that needs to change”.

 

Information pickets will take place outside Charleswood Care Centre at 5501 Roblyn Blvd. on Monday, May 16th throughout the day from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

CUPE Manitoba members present $10,000 to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation

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CUPE Manitoba presented a $10,000 cheque to CancerCare Manitoba during the CUPE Manitoba Convention on Thursday, May 5th, in support of Camp Indigo, a camp specifically designed to provide medical support and assistance to children with cancer to make their summer camp dreams a possibility. Today’s donation is the most recent contribution the union’s members are making to pediatric oncology as part of ongoing fundraising initiative for Manitoban children who have cancer.

To date, CUPE Manitoba has donated over $130,000 to CancerCare Manitoba through fundraising and donations.

“CUPE Manitoba is proud to be a strong supporter of Camp Indigo,” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “CUPE members are dedicated to the community, and our involvement reaches beyond the labour movement and into the lives of children and their families in need”.

Keynote speakers throughout Convention include: Mark Hancock, CUPE National President; Charles Fleury, CUPE National Treasurer; Shahine Siddiqui, President of the Islamic Social Services Association; Nahanni Fontaine, MLA for St. Johns; and more!

In Manitoba, CUPE represents approximately 25,000 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.

Members’ Provincial Election Guide 2016

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Consult this handy guide to find out what’s at stake for CUPE members across Manitoba and in your sector. The guide also includes suggestions for questions to ask candidates in the lead-up to the April 19 election. Contact CUPE-MB to order paper copies.

Download (PDF, 543KB)