(FILE)
The Canadian Union of Public Employees 998, representing about 870 Manitoba Hydro employees, has scheduled a strike vote for this Friday.
The union cites a lack of a fair contract offer from the utility as their reason to hold the vote.
The union says Manitoba Hydro has reached collective agreements with other unions, such as IBEW and Unifor. However, they have yet to extend a comparable offer to CUPE 998 members. These members include IT staff, customer service workers, and administrative support.
“No one wants a strike at Manitoba’s crown jewel,” said Gina McKay, president of CUPE Manitoba. “The government has an opportunity here to show Manitobans that the changes they made at Manitoba Hydro are showing results in the workplace. However, we are now preparing for a potential strike.”
CUPE 998 is Manitoba Hydro’s second-largest bargaining group.
