Hope in ample supply among striking MPI workers, labour leaders on eve of government change

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This article was published 17/10/2023 (748 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After multiple morale-boosting rallies for workers across Crown corporations as strikes raged on over the summer, the latest union gathering for Manitoba Public Insurance picketers took on a notably more optimistic tone Tuesday afternoon.

While it was the fifth rally the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union has held at the Legislative Building since Liquor and Lotteries workers first hit the picket line in August, it was the first since NDP premier-designate Wab Kinew was elected Oct 3.

Speeches from MGEU members and supporters were celebratory, hopeful that the election results are a sign of change to finally come.

“Good riddance,” Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck said of the defeated Progressive Conservative government, as the crowd of hundreds cheered.

“It’s refreshing to be on the steps of the legislature feeling hopeful that government will do the right thing after seven years of Brian Pallister, Heather Stefanson and the PC government,” Rebeck told supporters.

“The damage the outgoing government’s done to the public sector, to working Manitobans with short-staffing, wage-freeze legislation and unfair mandates is disgusting, but.… It’s a new day in Manitoba.”

MPI workers have entered their eighth week of strike action, marking 50 days on the picket line Tuesday. In comparison, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries began a full provincewide strike Aug. 8 and ratified a new deal 19 days later. Land title office workers at Teranet Manitoba, who are also represented by MGEU, went on strike July 21, but the union took the dispute to the Manitoba Labour Board after a deal was not reached in 60 days.

There are only 10 days left before MPI is able to apply to the labour board to take negotiations to binding arbitration that could effectively end the strike, something it has long called on MGEU to agree upon. MPI has said it will strongly consider going to the labour board as soon as it’s able.

MGEU president Kyle Ross noted negotiations can continue even if the dispute is before the board, and said he’d “find it hard to believe” that the incoming NDP leadership would not work with their membership and MPI to avoid binding arbitration and continue at the bargaining table.

“They’re pretty busy, we’re trying to get time with them, but they’ve indicated that we’re high on their priority list for getting this resolved, and I’m hopeful that they’re true to their words,” he said.

Kinew, who told striking workers he’d have their back at his first media availability since being elected, will be sworn in Wednesday.

It’s been a long 50 days for the MPI workers who have remained on picket lines as the seasons have changed. One worker, Christa Simard, called the last eight weeks “tremendously hard.”

“While I’ve enjoyed getting to know other passionate people who believe in the same idea of fairness, we’ve all felt the burden, financially and to our mental health, in one way or another,” she said.

She, like the union leadership representing her, was sounding hopeful.

“I feel like change is just around the corner,” she said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca