Manitoba Public Insurance workers continue to strike, hoping for fair wage deal
Posted September 12, 2023 6:25 pm.
Last Updated September 12, 2023 6:43 pm.
It’s been three weeks since 1,700 Manitoba Public Insurance workers walked off the job, and Tuesday they were once again rallying-for a fair deal.
The employer, MPI, has offered an annual wage increase of two per cent per year for four years, but Kyle Ross, the union president representing the workers says they continue to fight for what Heather Stefanson and her cabinet got – a 3.3 per cent increase this year and 3.6 per cent in 2024 and 2025.
“All these people around me would rather be at work, but instead they are stuck here on the picket line because this employer refuses to bargain,” said Ross.
“All they have to do is make a fair offer to us and we will take it out to our members. We can avert this strike or end this strike. It’s really unfortunate that this government and this employer is forcing Manitobans to suffer, and Manitoba’s small businesses face the rath of this because they refuse to bargain.”
Ross says the union has left their door open for MPI to come to the bargaining table, but no such talks have happened. Ward Keith, Board Chair of MPI says they proposed arbitration 21 days ago and will continue to do so going forward.
“The idea of going to arbitration to settle the one issue of general wage increases, is a effectively a risk-free option for the MGEU that is the pathway to ending this strike immediately and ending service disruptions for Manitobans,” said Keith.
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Meanwhile, MPI employees are not the only ones being impacted by this strike, so to are driving schools in Winnipeg and across the province who are limited as to what services they can provide.
Rav Phangureh, the owner of Rapid Driving School says the strike has had a major impact on his business. He says a lot of his students are cancelling their road tests as they are unsure when their road test will happen.
“It’s very frustrating, and another frustrating thing is for the student. Nobody is contacting them that their test is cancelled. So, we are holding onto that spot for them, even know we know there are no tests. Hopefully everything goes back to normal sooner than later,” explained Phangureh.
Dili Ram Sapkota of Everest Driving School says he normally has five to six students per day, but now, he’s either seeing one or none.
“Going forward, if this continues, I have to sit down and I have to keep my vehicle in my garage and stay home,” explained Sapkota.
He says this strike is impacting his family, and hopes it ends soon.
“I have a mortgage to pay, and I have children to feed and it’s greatly impacting for us.”
