An intensive care unit is shown at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mikaela MacKenzie, POOL)
Health-care support workers in Manitoba have ratified a new collective agreement with their employer.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says 18,000 health-care staff across the province now have a contract after five years without one.
“This was an incredibly difficult round of negotiations due to government interference, attempted wage freeze, disruptive restructuring, forced union amalgamations, and the pandemic,” said Shannon McAteer, CUPE health care coordinator. “Despite these challenges, this new agreement sets a solid foundation for the next round of negotiations.”
The new agreement, which was ratified on Friday, is retroactive to 2017 and contains annual wage hikes that total 9.6 percent. It also includes a signing bonus for all staff, an increase in shift premiums, improvements for the Community Programs/Home Care groups, a more flexible “single-day” vacation system for all members, double overtime, and market adjustments.
Health-care support staff covered under the new deal are represented by Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, WRHA Riverview Health Centre and WRHA corporate, Southern Health-Santé Sud, and the Northern Regional Health Authority.
The new agreement will expire on March 31, 2024.
