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The union representing most K-12 educational staff in Manitoba schools is calling on the Manitoba government and School Divisions to keep all K-12 workers on the payroll during COVID-19.
Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today that the schools across Manitoba will be suspended indefinitely, and that school support staff could be laid off.
CUPE Manitoba, the province’s largest union, is calling on the provincial government to ask employers to keep workers on the payroll over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and, where that is not possible, to assist employers with an Employment Insurance top up.
“We need emergency legislation that supports working Manitobans,” said Abe Araya, President of CUPE Manitoba.
The COVID-19 pandemic changes every day.
CUPE health care members are heroes, on the front-line protecting our community.
CUPE continues to fight for better protections for you. Your health, safety, compensation, and job security are our top priorities.
Here are some basic Q&As for CUPE health care workers.
*as of March 20, 2020
Q.
Child care workers support the closing of centres as part of health officials’ call for social distancing. However, Manitoba’s non-profit child care workers are deeply concerned that the closures of child care centres, and shift to private home-based day care will leave them without employment in the future.
“Government support to child care in Manitoba during COVID-19 is important, but the government’s
approach could lead to undermining non-profit child care centres in the future,” said Abe Araya, President of CUPE Manitoba.
WINNIPEG – The Provincial Government’s COVID-19 Update #19 issued on March 18th directs
employees who have arrived from international travel since March 15th to report to work. This is a
significant change from previous directions that all Manitobans returning from international travel
must self-quarantine.
This raises concerns because COVID-19 symptoms may not present themselves until 2 to 14
days after contact.
[cupe-newmode num1="16769" num2="17630"] For more information please see the Manitoba Federation of Labour’s letter to Premier Pallister: http://mfl.ca/node/1955
WINNIPEG – The 2020 Manitoba budget does little to ensure the public health funding that will be
needed to properly contain the coronavirus now, and in the future – says CUPE Manitoba, the
province’s largest union.
“Public Health should be getting a huge cash infusion to staff up for public health task forces,
immunization clinics, and ensuring enforcement of quarantine: instead this government is cutting
public health during a time of its most dire need,” says Abe Araya, President of CUPE Manitoba.
All Manitobans, including CUPE members and their families may experience higher levels of anxiety and may need extra support or accommodations. That is OK. We encourage members to use the resources available to them.
No matter where you work: on the front-lines of health care, in a crown corporation, schools, day cares, your municipality, university, social services, the private sector, are out of work, or working from home, it’s ok to ask for help.
The Provincial Government announced it would suspend all publicly funded schools in Manitoba for three weeks beginning March 23, and ending April 6. This measure is being taken to help slow the spread of the virus COVID-19 in Manitoba.
On Friday, March 13 CUPE reached out to the Minister of Education’s office to express our concerns.
*note this update is as of March 17, 2020.
CUPE members work hard every day to deliver quality public services that our communities can rely on across Manitoba. We want to thank all members who are working on the front lines of the current coronavirus outbreak.
At this time, we know that public services and the workers that deliver these services are more important than ever as we face a global pandemic.