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“Thanks to our members, the campaign we waged helped convince the government that this was the right move." - Lois Wales, MGEU President.
Winnipeg (09 Oct. 2012) - During the last round of bargaining, Manitoba’s civil service negotiated a two per cent long-service step (effective October 2012) for members who have reached 20 years of service.
However, after the agreement was ratified the government determined that groups of Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) members who had been transitioned into government from other agencies or other levels of government would not have all of their years of service counted.
Instead, the government insisted that their eligibility for the long-service step ought to begin on the date their job was transitioned.
This meant that, for some members who had worked at the same job, in the same office, even at the very same desk, for twenty years or more, they would have to continue to wait to receive the long-service step.
In response, the union filed a grievance on behalf of its members, which the government denied.
MGEU/NUPGE quickly moved the issue to arbitration and in April 2012 asked the members to send a message, asking the government to reverse its position on the matter and to “do the right thing.”
“I am happy to announce today that the government has finally come around and agreed that these members deserve their long-service step,” said MGEU President Lois Wales. “And we thank the politicians for this decision.”
“Thanks to our members, the campaign we waged helped convince the government that this was the right move. This is our membership at work. When we come together in pursuit of a cause, anything is possible.”
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE