Striking MPI workers assaulted on picket line outside legislature

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This article was published 31/10/2023 (708 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three Manitoba Public Insurance employees were assaulted on the picket line outside of the Manitoba legislature Tuesday morning.

An unknown man physically attacked three members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, an MGEU spokesperson said.

One of the victims required medical attention. Police are investigating the incident, the union said. The Winnipeg Police Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Approximately 1,700 MPI employees have been on strike since Aug. 28.

Close to 900 workers walked a picket line outside the Manitoba Legislative Building Tuesday morning after voting to reject the employer’s latest offer Monday.

That offer included wage increases of 12.2 per cent over four years, retroactively. The increase for 2022 and 2023 was three per cent each, with a 2.9 per cent increase in 2024 and 3.3 per cent in 2025.

More than 60 per cent of members would have received an additional 3.5 per cent wage increase over the contract from a new maximum increment step for each pay grade, the MGEU said.

The offer also included a one-time signing bonus of $1,800 per full-time employee that would be pro-rated for part-time employees.

The union said negotiations were to resume Tuesday afternoon.

MPI and MGEU representatives met with a conciliator last Thursday for the first time since the province overhauled the Crown corporation’s board of directors Oct. 20.

“While reaching an agreement is the ultimate goal, we understand that this vote by the membership is part of the process. MPI is committed to getting back to the table as soon as possible,” Matt Wiebe, the government minister responsible for MPI, said in a statement Tuesday morning.