Seine River School Division custodians walk off the job

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This article was published 12/02/2024 (611 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Custodians in the Seine River School Division have traded brooms for picket signs after beginning a strike Monday.

The 47 workers, who have been working without a contract for 2 1/2 years, began their job action at 7 a.m.

The last offer from the division in December included a 9.8 per per cent wage hike over four years, which would result in about a $2 per hour increase by the end of the contract.

The workers rejected the proposed deal and voted for strike action.

The two sides have agreed to conciliation.

Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, which represents the custodians, said while the last offer was for an average 2.45 per cent increase per year, the division recently received word from the provincial government it will be getting a 5.8 per cent funding increase.

“Custodial staff work hard to ensure our kids have clean and safe learning environments,” Ross said in a statement Monday.

“They are key players on the education team and they should be treated with respect and fairness. That includes fair wage increases that help all members catch up and keep up with the rising cost of living.”

The school division said it has hired Express Employment Professionals on a temporary basis to do the work normally done by the custodians.

The division, in a news release, said its compensation package offer was “fair and competitive” and “reflects the market for comparable school divisions and is in line with the wage increases recently negotiated with other employee groups.

“The division extends an invitation to all current custodial staff to continue reporting to work during the strike should they choose to do so,” it said.