A new MGEU online/radio ad campaign will be hitting airwaves next week, reminding Manitobans and the new provincial government that we can turn the tide in Manitoba by investing in public services.
Over the past seven years, the previous government cut public services and thousands of jobs (over 2,300 jobs eliminated in the provincial Civil Service alone). As a result of these cuts, Manitobans are experiencing longer wait times, more delays, and higher costs for the services they count on.
“Manitobans made a choice in the last provincial election. They weren’t happy with the state of our province brought on by the previous government’s agenda of cutting and privatizing public services,” said MGEU President, Kyle Ross. “Now it’s up to the new government to deliver on the promise they made to voters by investing in our public services and hiring back the workers we need.”
With a position vacancy rate hovering between 20 and 30 percent in many provincial departments, Ross says that hiring more public workers is just the first step on the long road towards fixing public services. The government must also treat their employees with fairness and respect, and that starts at the bargaining table.
Last month, over 11,000 MGEU Civil Service members voted overwhelmingly to reject an offer from the Stefanson government that included a general wage increase of just 8% over four years – a wage offer that is well below the increases that the Premier and MLAs have taken for themselves. In that same vote, members provided their bargaining committee with a strong strike mandate.
“The new government needs to rebuild the relationship with its workers, while also rebuilding our province," said Ross. "And doing that begins by investing in the people who deliver public services and providing them with a fair deal.”
Visit KeepUsTogether.ca to learn more and send a message to the government.
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