On behalf of Approximately 19,000 Manitoba health care support workers, CUPE ratified their new collective agreement, Friday morning with employers represented by the Provincial Health Labour Relations Secretariat (PHLRS).
“Our members stuck together to get a really good deal that will help solve the healthcare staffing crises” said CUPE 204 President Margaret Schroeder. “We have built an agreement that helps recruit new members and retain the ones we have”
The agreement, which includes increasing the starting wage for high vacancy positions, increasing long service steps and an average wage increase of 27% over the 4 years brings Manitoba from the worst paid support staff in the country to middle of the pack or better.
“This shows that this government respects healthcare support staff” said Gina McKay, President of CUPE Manitoba, “this is a government that is fulfilling its election commitment to fix healthcare in Manitoba.”
The tentative agreement was negotiated on behalf of the Community and Facility Support bargaining units at Shared Health Manitoba, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Southern Health, and Northern Health. These bargaining units include health care aides, laundry aides, housekeeping aides, dietary aides, ward clerks, and recreation coordinators at hospitals, health care centres, and personal care homes, as well as workers in Manitoba’s Home Care program.
“This is a contract that turns healthcare back into a career,” said Schroeder, “this is a contract that will ensure that care is in place when it is needed most.”
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canada’s largest union representing more than 750,000 members. In Manitoba, CUPE represents approximately 37,000 members working in health care facilities, personal care homes, home care, school divisions, municipal services, social services, child care centres, public utilities, libraries, and family emergency services.