Biz, labour hope for reboot under Stefanson

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This article was published 02/11/2021 (1460 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Labour unions, the business community and Indigenous leaders are counting on Premier Heather Stefanson to keep her promise to lead a government that collaborates — not dictates.

“It needs to be a two-way street, and we need more than just lip service. We need action from our new premier,” said Manitoba Labour Federation president Kevin Rebeck.

Labour groups have clashed with the belt-tightening PCs since they formed government in 2016, under Brian Pallister, over drawn-out contract talks and legislation that curtailed bargaining.

In a sign of the government’s fractured relationship with labour, faculty at the University of Manitoba walked off the job hours before Stefanson was sworn in Tuesday.

After Pallister quit as premier in September, the PCs scrapped a bill that would have made it tougher for unions to bargain. Rebeck said unions want to see the province change course on other labour policies.

“More than changing the tone, we need a change of action, and that means respecting free and fair collective bargaining.”

Kyle Ross, the newly elected president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, suggested fresh blood on both sides could mean a more collaborative relationship.

“(Stefanson) needs to reset the relationship with labour,” he said.

“The challenges of the past are hopefully gone, or mitigated somewhat, so we can move forward.”

As for biz groups, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce hopes Stefanson launches an economic development strategy based on widescale consultation.

“Addressing the workforce and skills challenges many businesses are currently facing must also be a top priority, as we begin to grow our economy,” wrote president Chuck Davidson.

To that end, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business wants the province to adjust its COVID-19 support payments in line with Ottawa’s recent overhaul of pandemic benefits, arguing many small businesses won’t be able to survive.

Manitoba spokesman Jonathan Alward also said Stefanson could design the province’s own carbon tax in a way that diverts more revenue to smaller firms than the federal tax.

“This is all about her cementing the direction that she wants to take the province,” he said.

As for health care, Stefanson pledged to implement recommendations to improve care at personal care homes, and proceed with a task force to clear a staggering backlog of surgeries and diagnostics caused by the pandemic.

Dr. Dan Roberts, an ICU physician who has overseen health reforms, said Stefanson should institute reforms so decisions are made by front-line staff instead of higher-ups.

“We’ve got a health-care system that’s pretty chaotic, and a lot of it has to do with the management structure,” Roberts said, arguing there is overlapping authority and bureaucracy.

“It’s like putting six steering wheels in a car, and expecting you’re not going to spend a lot of time in a ditch.”

When it comes to municipalities, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman is counting on Stefanson to get upgrades to the city’s northern sewage treatment plant on track, with Ottawa and the city ready to move on the second phase of the project.

“The delays at the provincial level are really comprising and jeopardizing future economic development opportunities for Winnipeg and the capital region,” Bowman said.

He hopes Stefanson acts quickly to get the city a new ambulance contract and backs the city’s request to Ottawa for funding to implement the Winnipeg Transit master plan.

Outside the city, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities is urging Stefanson to end the five-year freeze on municipal operating funding and instead help plan sustainable funding, possibly by giving rebates to municipalities for the provincial sales tax they pay.

The group wants the promise to dump new limits on municipal autonomy over planning matters and unveil a promised plan to reform rural health care.

The Manitoba Metis Federation urged Stefanson to put an end to conservation fines levied on hunters, under a quota system they say isn’t scientifically sound and violates Indigenous rights.

“They’re wasting all this money that could spent somewhere else,” said president David Chartrand. He said the PCs should collaborate with the Métis instead of constantly fighting his people.

“I’m hoping Heather Stefanson will say, ‘Look, I want to get out of courtrooms and get down to the negotiating tables.’”

Bowman said Stefanson’s swearing in marked a historic day as Manitoba is helmed by a woman for the first time in its history. He has high hopes for Stefanson, whom he first met decades ago when they were part of the PC party’s youth wing.

“She’s always been someone who, I think, takes a collaborative approach,” the mayor said.

—With files from Julia Simone-Rutgers

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca