‘Ripple effect’: MPI cancels driver tests amid labour action By: Kevin Rollason Posted: 6:49 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 28, 2023

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This article was published 28/08/2023 (1133 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Harold Tabin was preparing to take a budding Winnipeg university student for her driver’s licence test Monday, so she could get herself to school next month.

But the 18-year-old’s hopes were dashed when about 1,700 Manitoba Public Insurance employees hit the picket lines at 7:30 a.m. — cancelling all driver tests for the foreseeable future.

“She was hoping to be able to drive to university. That’s why she wanted to get a licence and was taking lessons during the summer,” said Tabin, a driver instructor for A Confidence Driving School, said Monday, hours after workers went on strike.

“That won’t happen for a while now.”

MPI announced Sunday it was cancelling all driver testing, estimating, adjusting and driver fitness appointments Monday, as about 1,700 members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union walked off the job.

The Crown auto insurer said anyone whose appointment has been cancelled will have to reschedule.

Tabin said that could drive more problems, depending on how long the strike lasts.

“The backlog for tests had been three months, but they have been able to bring that down to half that,” he said. “You could even get an appointment in two weeks.

“This has a ripple effect. They might have caught up to the backlog, but this will add back to that backlog.”

“This has a ripple effect. They might have caught up to the backlog, but this will add back to that backlog.”–Harold Tabin

Meantime, some local auto body shops were expecting business to ramp up.

MPI said as long as the strike is ongoing, motorists wanting to make claims for damaged vehicles can take them to any MPI-accredited repair shop.

John Vernaus, president of Vernaus Auto Body in Winnipeg, said by mid-morning Monday one motorist who had an appointment at an MPI collision centre had transferred over to his shop to get an estimate.

Vernaus expects more will follow suit, as well as motorists with new claims. “We do 33 per cent of the estimates now, and we will probably go to 80 to 90 per cent during the strike. I don’t think there will be any disruptions for people.”

However, MPI strike or not, the real wait will come between after the estimate is done and when the vehicle will be repaired.

“We are still booking four months out,” Vernaus said.

“But we triage it when we assess it. If you can’t drive the vehicle, then we would do it right away. If you have hail damage, you can drive it, so you can wait a month or two.”

Denis Cloutier, executive director of Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba, said motorists with damaged vehicles can go to an accredited body shop without having to get a claim number from MPI.

“The call centre is only taking calls if it is a total loss or personal injury,” Cloutier said.

“If your vehicle is drivable, instead of calling MPI, you can call an accredited collision centre. The most important message to the public is to set a realistic expectation: even before the strike, you could still not get your car in for a few weeks to get repaired.”

“The call centre is only taking calls if it is a total loss or personal injury.”–Denis Cloutier, Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba

Cloutier said there are 232 accredited repair shops across the province.

Meanwhile, insurance brokers don’t expect a surge of new business as they have been handling licence renewals and insurance payments for MPI for decades.

“We’ve been doing this since 1970,” said Grant Wainikka, chief executive officer of Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba.

“It’s business as usual right now. We remain open and are very happy and pleased to help out clients.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Kevin Rollason
Reporter

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