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'If the civil service is faced with a two-year wage freeze, the committee is determined to achieve significant gains in the overall contract.'
Winnipeg (15 Dec. 2010) - The civil service bargaining committee of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) has been working tirelessly at the table to address issues put forward by each of its components last fall and to reach a deal on monetary issues.
The committee met for a total of 18 days over a 22-day period, MGEU notes in an update posted on its website.
"As everyone no doubt recalls, the finance minister first announced a wage freeze for all public sector employees last spring," the union adds.
"To this point, the employer has not wavered on this issue and their refusal to budge has created a climate at the table that is different and much more difficult than any round this past decade," it says.
"Although to date we have made some real gains in non-monetary areas such as working conditions and employee rights, we continue to receive little response from government when it comes to raises in the first two years. Several other groups have now accepted the government’s wage freeze and the employer continues to treat this as non-negotiable for them."
The union says the bargaining committee is currently "going through the employer’s latest offer" to identify how to win the strongest deal possible for members over the life of a new agreement.
"If the civil service is faced with a two-year wage freeze, the committee is determined to achieve significant gains in the overall contract, including job protection throughout the life of the agreement," the union emphasizes.
"The committee is well aware of the issues components identified as priorities this round and is continuing to pursue improvements to health benefits, premiums and mileage - just to name a few."
The committee says it appreciates "the patience and ongoing support" of all members.
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