The President’s -minute UPDATE 5 Michelle Gawronsky providing more services to more people with At the Bargaining Table: fewer staff and resources. Welcome to the June edition! Is it any wonder that our Bargaining Here’s what’s been happening in our union ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Committees are profoundly frustrate and our over the past month. members increasingly angry and disillusioned? If you have any questions, please get a hold Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, May With the media on hand, we’re hopeful of me through our Resource Centre (204- 31, 2015, many of your MGEU leaders and the Premier and his government got our 982-6438 or 1-866-982-6438) or e-mail me activists attended the Manitoba Federation of message: a fair and reasonable offer is not at [email protected]. Labour Convention in Brandon. too much to ask! While there, we took the opportunity to send a clear and united message to Ratification Review Strike Watch Premier Greg Selinger: Enough is enough! Members of St. Amant Community After reaching an impasse with the employer, It’s time for a fair and reasonable offer! Residential Programs (Local 178) voted the newly merged Liquor and Gaming overwhelmingly for strike action in March. As Donning “Still Without a Contract” stickers, Authority (Locals 425 and 426) Bargaining a result, their Committee was able to send a your leadership, activists, and delegates from Committee has called a strike vote for June 9, strong message when they returned to the other unions reminded the Premier that 2015 in Winnipeg and Brandon. nearly 25,000 MGEU members have been table with the employer. After a tentative without a new contract for over a year, with agreement was reached, members ratified a Meanwhile, 120 members of Family Visions some as many as two years. new contract in May. (Local 303) in Brandon, who recently voted to reject a final offer, are also poised for a strike The University College of the North The Civil Service, Community Support vote. and Local 220, the Technical/Professional/ (Locals 69 and 70) Bargaining Committee, Paramedical Central Table, the All-Nations whose members voted to reject a tentative Coordinated Response Network, Manitoba agreement in December, returned to the Get your Regular Housing, the Addictions Foundation of table with the employer in March, and will be Manitoba — thousands of our members voting on whether to accept the employer’s Check-Up! who provide the day-to-day services that final settlement offer on June 10 and 15, 2015. Is your Component or Local in bargaining these days? Look for Manitobans rely on — remain in limbo at the The Child and Family Services Central the “At the Bargaining Table” button on bargaining table. MB (Supervisors) (Local 264) Bargaining mgeu.ca. It’s updated regularly, so check We reminded him that our members Committee and the employer recently reached back frequently for the latest bargaining accepted wage freezes only to see 5% of their a tentative agreement, which the members news. co-workers’ jobs eliminated. And that you are will have a chance to vote on June 10, 2015. In Your Workplace In The News Main Street Project Labour/Management Relations Moving in Right Direction - At the A few weeks ago, I expressed our invitation of both management and staff, I recently toured Main Street Project, an amazing members’ concerns about the state of facility that is there everyday for Winnipeggers facing life on the streets. It was great to see rural emergency medical services on the management and staff striving to get back on track as a team, something we’ve been working Winnipeg Free Press editorial page. with members on for some time. Many Manitoba paramedics are continuing to leave their communities for Winnipeg Post-Tramautic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as Workplace Hazard - In a meeting with or other provinces where wages are better the Minister of Labour this month, I shared with her the union’s concerns about the growing and working hours are shorter and more incidence of PTSD in fields ranging from corrections to child protection. I’m sure this will be the predictable. Manitoba is also not graduating first of many discussions around the need for legislation to address this critical workplace issue. enough paramedics to take the place of Is an employer decision or policy creating problems in your workplace? Let me know so your those that leave, meaning ambulances union can explore a solution! needed in rural areas are increasingly unavailable due to staffing shortages. This can’t go on. The recommendations of THE BIG PICTURE the EMS Review must be implemented now! 10th Annual SAFE Roads Campaign Kicks Off On May 14, the 10th Annual SAFE Roads Want to get this by e-mail? campaign kicked off for the summer. Contact us to get this 5-minute monthly A joint initiative targeted at educating update delivered to your inbox. motorists to slow down when driving past MGEU Resource Centre construction projects, road maintenance workers and emergency responders, the 204-982-MGEU (6438) campaign includes radio and transit ads and Toll-free 1-866-982-6438 billboards. The MGEU is proud to be a sponsor TTY toll-free 1-866-982-6599 of the initiative, along with the Cities of Proud to join (from left): Mayor Brian Bowman; Minister Erna Braun; [email protected] Brandon and Winnipeg, and other unions and Chris Lorenc, E.D. of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association; www.mgeu.ca Minister Steve Ashton; and Bryan Luce, V.P. of Manitoba Hydro for SAFE associations. Roads campaign kick-off. June 2015.