WINNIPEG – Members of CUPE’s Provincial Health Care Council (PHCC) will meet this morning to discuss the breakdown in negotiations for a new contract and possible strike action.
Contract negotiations between the Manitoba Government and 10,000 health care support workers, broke down Friday over the critical issue of wages and benefits.
“The Government’s latest offer for wage increases is much lower than other workers have achieved in their new contracts,” said Marlene Tartsch, Chair of the PHCC, which represents the workers in over 80 facilities across the Province.
“We have called in our local leaders from all over the Province to a meeting on Thursday in Winnipeg, to determine our action plan,” she said.
“We have been bargaining now for four months and we thought we were getting somewhere. Fair wages and benefits are the key issues for our members, and the Government has a long way to go to provide fairness to all health care employees. It’s time that Health Minister Dave Chomiak got involved,” said Lorraine Sigurdson, CUPE’s Health Care Coordinator.
CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, represents health care support workers in more than 80 facilities across Manitoba, including the Regional Health Authorities covering Central Manitoba, Interlake, Parkland, Southwestman, Marquette and Brandon. In Winnipeg, facilities include the Health Sciences Centre, Grace, Seven Oaks and Concordia Hospitals, CancerCare Manitoba, Riverview Health Centre, Community Health Clinics and Personal Care Homes.
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A Press Statement will be made at 2 p. m. (after the meeting), Union Centre, 275 Broadway, 2nd floor Auditorium
For information, contact:
Marlene Tartsch. 942-0343 ext. 287, cell. (204) 794-6817
Lorraine Sigurdson, 942-0343 ext. 214, cell. (204) 981-6499
Nancy Garrioch, (204) 729-5790 (for Brandon)