Manitoba nurses ratify long-term contract
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/10/2021 (1425 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba nurses have ratified a seven-year contract after being without a collective agreement since 2017.
The union that represents 12,000 nurses announced Thursday its members had accepted the long-term collective agreement after a week-long vote concluded at noon.
“It truly was a long four and a half years without a collective agreement… there is still work to be done to address the significant weaknesses in our health-care system, but the improvements in this contract are a necessary and positive first step in addressing nurses’ serious concerns,” said union president Darlene Jackson.
The union didn’t release details about the percentage of its membership who voted in favour or against the contract.
The agreement includes wage increases of 1.25 per cent for 2017 and 2018, followed by 1.4 per cent, 0.5 per cent, and 1.2 per cent increases for 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Wages would go up by two per cent each year for the next two years until the contract expires in 2024.
The previous four-year contract offered annual wage increases of two per cent in 2013, 3.1 per cent in 2014, two per cent in 2015, and three per cent in 2016.
The union said the deal addresses many issues, including improvements to shift premiums, overtime compensation, meal allowance, isolation allowance and academic allowance entitlement.
The union also said there are protections against inordinately long consecutive hours of work and durations of standby. There is also an investment in recruitment and retention initiatives through a joint committee with a fund of $4 million a year.
The provincial government released a statement attributed to Premier Kelvin Goertzen and Health Minister Audrey Gordon following the union’s announcement.
“Our dedicated nurses fully deserve the comfort and security this seven-year agreement provides, along with the wide-ranging collaborative improvements it delivers,” the statement said.
They went on to “salute” nurses for their work during the pandemic, which has greatly contributed to burnout among health-care staff.
The agreement is the result of nearly two months of bargaining with the help of a mediator.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Thursday, October 14, 2021 5:00 PM CDT: adds sentence noting union didn't release percentage of vote