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Despite being without a contract for three years, members still demand employer address outstanding concerns.
Winnipeg (02 July 2015) — About 80 members of Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE), who are employed by Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Security, have been without a new contract for three years. Yet the employer's latest offer didn’t go far enough in addressing severe retention problems resulting in a significant majority of members voted down the offer.
Growing wage gap
In March, MGEU/NUPGE representatives presented a strong case for a wage adjustment for HSC security officers to the Labour Relations Secretariat. But those efforts were rejected and no special adjustment was provided. The employer put forward an offer to the bargaining committee earlier this month, but it did little to address the growing wage gap between HSC Security and other security services in the province.
Members support their bargaining committee
The bargaining committee brought the employer's offer to members with a recommendation to reject, and they responded with a resounding "no" vote.
Aside from the wage gap, the security officers at HSC are experiencing ever-increasing violence in their jobs, while responsibilities required to complete their daily duties continue to climb.
Workers in a challenging environment
Compared with security teams in other Manitoba hospitals, the HSC security team continues to work in one of the most challenging environments as they work to keep over 7,000 employees and 13,000 visitors every day safe at Manitoba’s largest hospital.
The next step for the MGEU/NUPGE bargaining committee is to request the employer return to the bargaining table in order to negotiate a fair deal.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 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