Wage freezes start at home

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/11/2016 (3227 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s no doubt the premier is serious about getting the province’s fiscal house in order. The announcement he is considering opening contracts to seek wage concessions is a trial balloon aimed at demonstrating just how serious this government is.

Brian Pallister has been adamant he campaigned on his promise to cut the province’s deficit, but he also made a number of other promises he will not be able to meet now that his party is in control. That includes axing the PST increase implemented by the NDP under then-premier Greg Selinger. In fact, this became his party’s raison-d’être before the election even began as they held up the passage of other bills in debate and took the hike to court.

Now that the premier is on the other side of the house, well, things look a whole lot different. And it’s understandable. There’s a deficit to slay and a credit rating to salvage, something this editorial board firmly supports. But it’s disingenuous to plow ahead with rolling back wages and claim it’s part of the mandate.

If Mr. Pallister and his ministers want to be taken seriously, they must freeze their own salaries first and forego a 4.6 per cent wage hike given to them under the balanced budget legislation. It will send a very clear message to Manitobans, including the unions, that the government genuinely wants to find efficiencies.

Further, a commissioner was appointed in October to decide pay, retirement benefits and allowances for members of the legislature. This is required under the Legislative Assembly Act, with the commissioner determining the appropriate pay and benefits for MLAs. Should Winnipeg lawyer Michael Werier argue that a wage increase is appropriate, the premier must turn it down also.

The 4.6 per cent increase provided in June is well above the province’s inflation rate and certainly more than the zero per cent wage increase recently negotiated with the University of Manitoba Faculty Association as it endured a 21-day strike. It seems unfair to expect one part of the public-sector budget to say no while the other part in government says, “Yes, please.”

But seeking wage concessions on existing contracts is not an efficient use of taxpayer’s money anyway. There’s no doubt any attempt to roll back wages will result in a Supreme Court challenge.

In 2007, the Supreme Court determined in a landmark decision collective bargaining is a constitutional right. It ruled Gordon Campbell’s Liberal B.C. government violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it implemented a law in 2002 allowing it to tear up a contract with the B.C. Hospital Employees’ Union.

Union organizers in this province, including the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, have made it clear any attempt to open contracts to freeze wages will likely be ruled as unconstitutional. More to the point, while this anti-union rhetoric may play well to the Progressive Conservative base, there are many union members who live in vote-rich Winnipeg who may be taking notes.

The Conservatives need to take a step back and ensure there are other ways of righting the deficit ship in this province. They should start with a wage freeze for MLAs as a way of opening up discussions.