News

Hundreds of students and workers unite to fight cuts at U of M

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Campus labour and student groups at the University of Manitoba held a rally on January 27th in opposition to major across-the-board cuts proposed by the university’s administration. The University of Manitoba is proposing 4% cuts across the university, yet have been silent on details. IMG_4200

CUPE Locals 3909, 1482, and 5156 joined a coalition with the University of Manitoba Faculty Association, Association of Employees Supporting Education Services (AESES), Unifor, the Student Action Network, Canadian Federation of Students, University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) and others in opposition to these cuts, as well as to the ongoing corporatization of campus services and programs.

Jennifer Black, CUPE Local 3909 Vice-President Unit 1, representing student academic workers, spoke at the event highlighting the impact the proposed cuts would have on the university community. “These cuts could include layoffs and reductions in academic support staff campus-wide” said Black, “the administration is proposing an austerity budget that would greatly harm the quality of education provided by the University of Manitoba.”

Students and workers began the march at the university’s engineering complex and detoured through the university’s Administration Building after attempting to walk-in on the Board of Governors meeting taking place on campus. “Students and campus workers are taking direct action” said Black, “the University needs to see exactly how high the stakes are when they propose cuts to our education.”

CUPE represents approximately 1,600 post-secondary workers in Manitoba.

For more photos check out the CUPE MB photo gallery

CUPE Manitoba Welcomes New Members at the Western School Division

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WINNIPEG – Educational Assistants at the Western School Division chose to become members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees in a vote held by the Manitoba Labour Board on Wednesday.

“We are honoured to welcome our newest members to CUPE” says Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba, “CUPE is a strong union for school sector support staff, and we look forward to representing the Educational Assistants at the Western School Division.”

CUPE will now represent approximately 64 Educational Assistants at the Western School Division, in addition to over 5,000 school sector support staff in communities across Manitoba.

CUPE Manitoba represents over 25,000 members in Manitoba, including school divisions, municipalities, health care, social services, crown corporations, and post-secondary education.

CUPE Manitoba Solidarity Sector Conference an Overwhelming Success!

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Over 140 CUPE members from across the province met in Brandon from November 26 – 29 at the CUPE Manitoba Solidarity Sector Conference.

At this conference members from Healthcare, Social Services, Municipalities, Long-term Care, and School Divisions met to discuss issues facing their sectors.

Additionally, special guest speakers included Mark Janson, CUPE Research who spoke to a number of sectors on Defined Benefit pension plans, CUPE National President Paul Moist who spoke about Manitoba’s positive track record on pensions, comparing Manitoba to other provinces where pensions are under attack. Newly elected Brandon City Councilor Lonnie Patterson also spoke on the importance of labour activists getting involved in local politics and elections.

For photos of the conference, visit CUPE Manitoba on Facebook or check out our Flikr gallery!

CUPE applauds Manitoba government’s commitment to children in care

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Winnipeg – Today the Government of Manitoba announced an overhaul of the Child and Family Services Emergency Placement Program, committing to hiring 210 highly trained new permanent child-care workers over the next two years.

Kelly Moist, President CUPE Manitoba Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba Minister of Family Services Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative Ryan McRae, CUPE Local 2153
Kelly Moist, President CUPE Manitoba
Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba Minister of Family Services
Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative
Ryan McRae, CUPE Local 2153

“We are proud that the Manitoba government is responding to the call for highly trained, permanent staff to care for children in need” said Kelly Moist, President of CUPE Manitoba. “Ensuring permanent reliable staff rather than contract workers means that children will receive the type of quality care they need to live with dignity and hope”.
Manitoba Minister of Family Services Kerri Irvin-Ross made today’s announcement as part of a response to reduce the number of children who are placed in hotels as part of their transition into other levels of care, as well as to ensure adequate, reliable staffing levels for children in need and a reduced reliance on contract workers.
“Workers must be provided the training they need and be treated as an integral part of providing care for children” said Moist. “Moving away from contract workers and towards more permanent staff is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of children in care”.
The provincial government also committed to creating 71 new emergency foster home spaces, opening a secure residential care unit to work with girls ages 12 to 17 who have complex needs, increase capacity to perform mulch-disciplinary clinical assessments of children with behavioural challenges, and increase emergency foster placements and supports in rural areas for children closer to their homes.
“This initiative shows that the provincial government is both responsive and responsible” said Moist. “We are incredibly pleased that Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross also highlighted the reality that colonization, residential schools, and poverty are issues that must also be addressed to ensure that children can grow up in healthy, proud, and safe family environments”.
CUPE represents 25,000 workers in Manitoba, including approximately 500 in Winnipeg Child and Family Services.

Province Proclaims Health Care Support Workers’ Week

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The Province of Manitoba has once again proclaimed October 13 -17, 2014 as Health Care Support Workers’ Week!

This week is to celebrate the contributions of health care support workers to our community. Health care support workers work tirelessly each and every day to care for our loved ones. This week is dedicated to saying “thank you” to these workers, and to show our appreciation for the work they do.

Each year, CUPE Manitoba sends a request to the provincial government, asking for the week to be proclaimed. This year’s Health Care Support Workers’ Week will be held on the week of October 13 – 17. It is because of CUPE that a special week is dedicated to Manitoba’s health care support workers, and we’re proud of the contributions that our members make to communities province-wide.
On behalf of all CUPE members, we thank our health care support members, and we look forward to this year’s Health Care Support Workers’ Week.

Download (PDF, 2.11MB)

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CUPE activist receives 2014 Joseph Zuken Citizen Activist Award

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Last night the Joseph Zuken Association honoured former CUPE Local 500 activist Shirley Lord with the prestigious Joseph Zuken Citizen Activist Award.

Shirley Lord (right) with Winnipeg City Councelor Jenny Gerbasi at the 2014 Joseph Zuken Citizen Activist Award ceremony
Shirley Lord (left) with Winnipeg City Counselor Jenny Gerbasi at the 2014 Joseph Zuken Citizen Activist Award ceremony

At a ceremony held in Winnipeg’s West End Cultural Centre, friends, family, and community leaders gathered to celebrate the achievements of Shirley, as well as to celebrate the lasting impact her years of activism has had on the community.

Shirley was very active in CUPE and the labour movement for decades. Shirley was a municipal hospital unit president with Local 500, was chair of the CUPE Manitoba and MFL Political Action Committees, and was secretary of CUPE 500. She also worked at the CUPE Manitoba Regional Office. Additionally, Shirley was an Executive member of the Winnipeg Labour Council and Manitoba Federation of Labour.

Shirley served as President of the Manitoba NDP, and was the coordinator of CHO!CES, a coalition for social justice. She was the chair of both CEDA and Village Clinic, as well as a board member for Deer Lodge Hospital.

Shirley was also deeply committed to global justice, doing important work in Kampala, Uganda and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

CUPE is proud of the work that Shirley has done over the many years of her activism, and we look forward to her continued involvement in the labour movement. We have no doubt that Shirley’s work has positively affected the lives of countless CUPE members, and for this we offer her our sincere thanks.

The Joseph Zuken Citizen Activist Award honours individuals or groups which have made a contribution to the community in keeping with Zuken’s interests. Joseph (Joe) Zuken was one of Winnipeg’s most effective and controversial progressive politicians. He served for over 42 years as a school trustee and city councillor, and was committed to serving the community.IMG_1547

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