Marymound employees’ union to rally over lack of contract, working conditions

The union that represents employees at Marymound is planning to rally near the youth social services facility Friday over the lack of a collective agreement and concerns with working conditions.

Canadian Union of Public Employees 5567 represents 160 workers at Marymound, which provides a wide array of services to vulnerable youth, including foster care, group housing and schooling.

The employees represented by CUPE — who include crisis stabilization staff, youth-care practitioners, counsellors, paramedics and school staff — joined the union in 2024 over numerous concerns with their workplace, but have not yet been able to negotiate their first official contract.

Gina McKay, CUPE Manitoba president, said the staff don’t have the tools or support they need to effectively work with the marginalized youngsters they’re supposed to help.

“We are at a point where the staff are under elevated levels of workplace violence, stress, there’s a lot happening with the workers at Marymound, and their important work has to be valued,” McKay said Thursday.

Some of the employees, McKay said, make little more more than minimum wage while facing violence and other safety concerns daily.

The union leader said employees at Marymound already make less than comparable social services jobs elsewhere in the province.

McKay said Marymound has not been fairly negotiating and that the organization is rolling out wage rollbacks for some workers.

“They joined a union… because they want stability, they want respect in the workplace, and they’re being met with an employer refusing to make a fair deal,” said McKay.

The afternoon rally is planned at the corner of Main Street and Leila Avenue, near Marymound’s Scotia Street facilities.

Marymound officials did not return a request for comment on the union’s concerns and claims Thursday.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca