MGEU headed back to bargaining for striking liquor workers and unhappy MPI employees

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This article was published 21/08/2023 (1091 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The union representing both the province’s striking liquor store workers as well as Manitoba Public Insurance staff who voted last week in favour of strike action will be back at bargaining tables this week.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union said Monday bargaining talks for both sets of workers have been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Both sets of workers have been offered the same two per cent annual wage increase.

There were no other details released.

About 1,400 Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries workers have been taking job action since last month, but are in the second week of a full strike.

Most Liquor Marts across the province are closed, but there are a few open in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson that are being operated by managers, while replacement workers have been hired to ship liquor from the Crown corporation’s distribution centre on King Edward Street.

MLL has agreed to a conciliator’s recommendation that the two sides go to binding arbitration to settle wage issues, but the union has said it wants wage-floor protections before it agrees.

Meanwhile, approximately 1,700 MPI employees voted last week to go on strike after rejecting the Crown corporation’s wage offer.

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No strike date has been set but the union says a strike would affect everything related to driver insurance and licensing.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Kevin Rollason
Reporter

Kevin Rollason was a general assignment reporter at the Free Press.