Wage freeze could extend to teachers

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This article was published 28/11/2016 (3537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister has signalled that public-sector wage controls could include teachers.

“It’s important that we all understand there’s a real challenge here, and we face it all together,” said Pallister, a former teacher.

“We’ll be encouraging all hands on deck. This is not a challenge that can be met in part, it has to be met comprehensively. I don’t think the teachers would want to do anything but be part of what we do to strengthen services… and finances.”

The government’s throne speech last week mentioned plans for legislation early in 2017 to control public-sector wages, but offered no specifics. The details of his legislation won’t be made public until the new year, Pallister said Friday.

Several weeks ago, Pallister instructed the University of Manitoba to insist on a one-year wage freeze in negotiations with the university’s faculty association. The union, which represents professors, librarians and instructors, agreed to the freeze last week in return for improvements in working conditions, ending a three-week strike.

In the last round of contract negotiations, every bargaining unit of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society settled for identical raises of nine per cent over four years. Those agreements, which expire June 30, 2018, feature different improvements to benefits and working conditions. Some differ in changes to incremental wage increases.

Teachers across the province got a two per cent raise in September and will receive two increases of 1.5 per cent, phased in six months apart in 2017-18.

Teachers continued to make wage gains when the former NDP government imposed a wage freeze several years ago on some public-sector workers. They continue to make gains well above the rate of inflation, Pallister said.

Teachers’ Society president Norm Gould said the province hasn’t initiated wage discussions with the union, which represents more than 15,000 teachers.

“It would be imprudent at this time to speculate as to whether the proposed freeze would extend to teachers,” he said.

Provincial figures show salaries for classroom teachers will cost $1.1 billion in 2016-17 — an increase of almost $41 million from a year earlier. The cost of benefits will go up about $2.3 million.

When support staff is included, salaries will rise about $63 million and benefits will cost an extra $5 million across Manitoba’s public school system in 2016-17.

Salaries account for $1.76 billion of the $2.3-billion public education system.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca