Social Services

News and information about our social services members.

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

CUPE Local 3085 Prepares to Strike

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Selkirk – CUPE Local 3085, representing employees at Community Living Selkirk, has served notice to their employer that they will be on strike effective August 8, 2014, at 8:00 am.IMG_9954

“We have done everything in our power to avoid a strike situation” said Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative, “but the employer refuses to provide fairness, offering sub-inflationary increases that would amount to nickels and dimes on already low wages”.

On July 9th members voted 94% in favour of strike action, and held information pickets in Selkirk on July 15th and 22nd in an effort to put pressure on the employer to offer a reasonable package.  On July 25th, following numerous meetings with a provincial conciliation officer, the strike committee officially served the employer with two weeks’ notice of the strike commencement date.

“Employees at Community Living Selkirk take pride in the work they do” said Capar, “going on strike is a difficult decision for anybody, but there is only so long that a worker can survive below the poverty line”.

The union has also been informed by Community Living Selkirk that replacement workers are already being trained to take over the duties of striking employees.

“The fact that Community Living Selkirk can afford to pay expensive private replacement workers and not their own employees is shocking” said Capar, “why don’t they just support their staff?”

CUPE Local 3085 will be traveling to Winnipeg to hold an information picket outside the office of Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Family Services (1060 Pembina Highway) on Tuesday, July 29th at 12:00 noon.  They will be calling on the province to ensure adequate funding to support Assisted Community Living staff.

CUPE Local 3085 represents approximately 100 employees at Community Living Selkirk providing residential support services to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities.

For more information, contact:

Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative – Cell #:  204-801-4699

David Jacks, CUPE Communications Representative – Cell #:  204-801-7339

Local 3085 Info Pickets at Minister of Family Services Office

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CUPE Local 3085 (Community Living Selkirk) invites you to join them at the Minister of Family Service’ office to call for fairness for Assisted Community Living workers!IMG_9954
Community Living Selkirk employees provide important supports and services to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities, yet are paid just above minimum wage, forcing many employees to live below the poverty line.

Employees voted 94% in favour of a strike mandate, and need your support to help them achieve fairness in their workplace.

WHEN: Tuesday July 29, 2014

TIME: Noon – 1:00 p.m.

PLACE: 1060 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg (constituency office of Minister of Family Services and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Kerri Irvin-Ross).

For more information contact David Jacks at djacks@cupe.ca

Bring your signs, noisemakers, friends and family!

More Info Pickets Today in Selkirk

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CUPE Local 3085 (Community Living Selkirk) is organizing another round of info pickets in Selkirk, calling on their employer to compensate them fairly for their work. Currently, employees at Community Living Selkirk, who provide support to Manitobans with intellectual disabilities, earn wages that keep them below the poverty line.

Last week’s info pickets were received very well by the public, generating positive feedback from motorists and passers-by.

Please join us again today in solidarity with CUPE Local 3085, Community Living Selkirk members for another round of info pickets!
When: Tuesday, July 22, 12:00 noon
Where: Selkirk, Main Street & Manitoba Ave.
Why: to support CUPE Local 3085 members in fighting for a fair contract!
We need your support!

For more information, click here.

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Community Living Selkirk Employees to Hold Info Pickets

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Selkirk – Employees at Community Living Selkirk will be holding information pickets at the corner of Main Street and Toronto Avenue in Selkirk, calling on their employer and funder to provide fair compensation for the important work they provide to the community. Community Living Selkirk employees are represented by CUPE Local 3085, and are responsible for providing support to individuals living with intellectual disabilities. Members voted 94% in favour of strike action at a ratification meeting on July 9th. A strike date will be determined in the coming weeks.

“It is appalling that dedicated social service providers are making just above minimum wage” said Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative, “they provide invaluable support to Manitobans with intellectual disabilities, and deserve to be compensated fairly.”

The current collective agreement expired in September 2013, and following months of bargaining and meetings with a conciliation officer, members voted in June, and again in July to reject the employer’s proposal of sub-inflationary wage increases.

“The population of Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities in the community is growing, as is the need for direct community living care” says Capar, “yet wages for the people who are responsible for their care aren’t even increasing at the rate of inflation, creating serious recruitment and retention issues which impact on care provision.”

Community Living Selkirk employees provide in-house support to Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities, including cooking, cleaning, medication, personal hygiene care, outings and activities, and crisis response.

“Staff turnover is very high, creating increased workloads on staff and often forcing them to stay in the workplace for 18 hours straight” said Capar, “yet the employer has threatened to spend money on replacement workers in the case of a strike, rather than provide support to existing employees, it is simply not fair”.

Information pickets will begin at noon on Tuesday July 15, 2014, at the corner of Main Street and Toronto Avenue in Selkirk.

CUPE Local 3085 represents approximately 100 Residential Counsellors at Community Living Selkirk.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Interlake employees avert strike

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Selkirk – After last minute negotiations through a provincial conciliation officer, the CUPE Local 2348 strike committee has agreed to push back their strike deadline, pending the outcome of continued talks slated for early next week.

“It is our hope that the employer will return to the bargaining table with an offer that our members can agree to” said CUPE National Representative, Sheree Capar “at the end of the day, our priority is to reach a fair agreement, and this is a positive step towards that goal”.

CUPE 2348 members at CMHA – Interlake Region held a strike vote on April 7th, with 100% in favour of striking.  Meetings with a Conciliation Officer were held on April 28th, and May 6th. Members were prepared to strike as early as 8:30am, today.

CUPE Local 2348 represents health and social service workers across Manitoba.

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For more information or to arrange an interview:

            Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative – Cell #:  204-801-4699

            David Jacks, CUPE Communications Representative – Cell #:  204-801-7339

Canadian Mental Health Association – Interlake Employees Prepare to Strike

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Selkirk – Employees of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – Interlake Region, represented by CUPE Local 2348 are preparing to strike, as early as Thursday, May 8th at 8:30 am.

CMHA – Interlake Region staff assist in locating safe and affordable housing for community members who live with mental illness and help them with rehabilitation, training, and life skills.

Currently, CMHA – Interlake staff make between 15% and 36% lower wages than similar work being done by CMHA – Winnipeg Region employees.  “What we are asking for is fairness” said Local 2348 strike committee member Tristan Dreilich, “it doesn’t make sense to us that we are not offered similar compensation to our counterparts in Winnipeg, who do similar work”.

In addition to asking for wage parity with CMHA – Winnipeg Region staff, employees of CMHA – Interlake Region are asking for the same or similar employer-paid benefits.  “It is not that difficult to understand that similar work deserves similar benefits” said Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative, “living and working in the Interlake shouldn’t mean that you are offered less than you would in Winnipeg”.

CUPE 2348 members at CMHA – Interlake Region held a strike vote on April 7th, with 100% in favour of striking.  Meetings with a Conciliation Officer were held on April 28th, and May 6th where the employer and bargaining committee reached an impasse.  “Our team has worked very hard to reach a fair deal” said Dreilich, “we are disappointed that the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) won’t help us reach parity with our Winnipeg colleagues”.

The CMHA – Interlake Region service area includes as far south as Lockport and Stony Mountain and extends north of Ashern as well as in Beauséjour, Pinawa, and Lac du Bonnet.  The CMHA – Interlake Region is funded primarily through the Interlake-Eastern RHA.

CUPE Local 2348 represents health and social service workers across Manitoba.

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For more information or to arrange an interview:

            Sheree Capar, CUPE National Representative – Cell #:  204-801-4699

            David Jacks, CUPE Communications Representative – Cell #:  204-801-7339

ArlingtonHaus Employees Join CUPE

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Winnipeg – Employees at ArlingtonHaus have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“We are honoured that employees at ArlingtonHaus have chosen to join Canada’s largest union,” says Debb Grimaldi, Acting Regional Director for CUPE.  “We are looking forward to working with these new members and the employer to establish a first collective agreement for their workplace.”

CUPE now represents 24 employees at ArlingtonHaus, a senior’s community operated by The Bethania Group.

CUPE represents long-term care workers across Manitoba.