Today Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew released mandate letters to four Cabinet Ministers, outlining the expectations of the government to deal with health care, families, the environment, and labour & immigration.
“Manitoba’s workers are feeling hopeful with Premier Kinew’s vision for government,” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba. “It has been too long since the government has taken the concerns of front-line worker seriously, and we are encouraged that this government has prioritized areas that will improve the lives of all Manitobans.”
CUPE Manitoba is pleased to see that Minister of Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care, Uzoma Asagwara, is tasked to address the critical staffing shortages across health care and will prioritize increasing staffing ratios in long-term care across the province, something CUPE Manitoba has called for over many years.
CUPE Manitoba also applauds the mandate for Minister of Families, Nahanni Fontaine, to increase wages for the disability support workers, as well as Minister of Labour and Immigration Malaya Marcelino, who has the task to make joining a union easier for workers across the province.
“This government is sending a clear message to Manitoba’s workers that ‘help is on the way’,” said McKay. “CUPE Manitoba is ready to offer our front-line expertise to help this government achieve their goals in making our province better for everyone.”