‘We got a fair deal’: health-care support workers reach tentative agreement, strike averted

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This article was published 08/10/2024 (710 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Unions representing Manitoba’s 25,000-plus health-care support workers are recommending they accept a tentative contract agreement that was reached about 90 minutes before a strike deadline Tuesday.

The proposed deal was struck at 4:25 a.m., postponing a strike that would have brought major disruption to the provincial home-care program and hospitals and personal-care homes across much of Manitoba.

“I’m much happier to be talking about a tentative deal than talking about a strike,” said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union. “I think we got a fair deal for everyone.”

“We’re feeling good about recommending the deal,” said Gina McKay, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Manitoba. “We wouldn’t have recommended a deal that didn’t speak to wages and better working conditions.”

Terms of the last-minute tentative agreement will be made public once they are shared with union members, who reported to work as scheduled Tuesday.

They include health-care aides, housekeeping staff, ward clerks and recreation co-ordinators.

Dates for online information sessions and an electronic ratification vote were being arranged.

Premier Wab Kinew declined to divulge the proposed terms, but described it as a “good deal” for workers.

“I’ve got to say, I jumped out of bed this morning, saying it’s good news for the health-care system, so we’re really happy for all the hard work, and we respect the folks on the other side of the table there,” he said at an unrelated event.

“The best deals are arrived at through negotiations, so I just want to say thanks to our partners in this dance and the employers who are sitting there at the table representing the people of Manitoba.”

“I’m much happier to be talking about a tentative deal than talking about a strike.”–Kyle Ross

Kinew said more than 300 new health-care aides have been hired since the NDP government was sworn in almost a year ago.

CUPE and MGEU negotiated with Shared Health, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Interlake-Eastern RHA, Prairie Mountain Health and Southern Health. Support staff in Northern Health Region accepted a contract offer in August, as did some workers in Southern Health.

A Shared Health spokesperson said the employers were “pleased” an agreement was reached.

“For most patients, residents and clients, health-care services will continue as planned (Tuesday),” the spokesperson wrote in an email.

“Some disruption can be expected for patients and clients whose appointments and surgeries may have been postponed in anticipation of a work stoppage. Work to resume normal operations and reschedule affected appointments will occur over the coming days.”

Support workers were set to go on strike at 6 a.m. if a deal wasn’t in place. The unions said the sides were still far apart Monday afternoon, but talks progressed through the night.

“The best deals are arrived at through negotiations, so I just want to say thanks to our partners in this dance and the employers who are sitting there at the table representing the people of Manitoba.”–Premier Wab Kinew

“We were closing the gap and trying to understand everyone’s positions,” said Ross.

A support worker at a Manitoba hospital told the Free Press they were relieved a strike was averted, pending a ratification vote.

“I’m also anxious to see what they offered us,” said the worker, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. “Is it anything better than the old offer? Is it worth voting for, or do we turn it down?”

The employee said it has become increasingly difficult to make ends meet, because wages have been stagnant and living costs have soared.

“A lot of (support staff) have more than one job,” they said.

Home-care client Joel Shefrin, who lives in Winnipeg, was happy when he learned the strike was on hold.

“It means care will continue,” he said. “My aide this morning was quite happy. She said, ‘We don’t want our patients to suffer in any way, shape or form.’”

Last week, Shefrin, who uses an ostomy bag, told the Free Press he was informed home-care staff wouldn’t be able to help him with a shower three times a week if a strike happened.

Two days after the article was published, a manager called to tell him visits would continue on the same days, but the times would vary, in the event of a walkout, he said.

McKay said the proposed contract, if accepted, is a step toward making health-care support positions more competitive to retain and recruit workers amid a staffing crisis.

“It’s also recognizing health-care support workers as an integral part of the health-care team,” she said.

McKay said support staff are taking on one or two extra jobs, or being forced to make difficult financial decisions at home, to make ends meet during an affordability crisis.

“My aide this morning was quite happy. She said, ‘We don’t want our patients to suffer in any way, shape or form.’”–Joel Shefrin

The unions said Manitoba’s support workers are paid less than their counterparts elsewhere in Canada, with several positions starting just above minimum wage, which increased to $15.80 per hour Oct. 1.

Shared Health warned Monday a strike would cause significant disruption, including longer emergency room waits and delays or cancellations to some surgeries and services.

Families would have been forced to fill in gaps for some home-care patients.

Essential services such as life-saving and cancer surgeries would have continued, with priority given to the sickest and most injured patients.

CUPE and MGEU were seeking an improved wage offer, after members in August rejected a proposed agreement that was recommended by the unions, and authorized strike action.

That deal included a one per cent wage increase retroactive to April 1, and annual increases totalling 11.25 per cent over four years.

The workers had been without a contract since March.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca