The Return to Work Agreement was negotiated after the provincial government provided formal notice that funding to MYS will continue to be frozen, and that the province is prohibiting MYS from using its budget surplus to fund a settlement with these front-line workers.
“The province’s directive to MYS this week is preventing a timely resolution to this negotiation,” said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky. “With this Return to Work Agreement, full services for kids in crisis can resume while we work with MYS to secure needed provincial investments in this critical front-line care.”
Gawronsky and MYS CEO Erma Chapman will be making a joint request for an urgent meeting with Scott Fielding, Manitoba Minister of Families.
“We need the Minister of Families to explain why his department is preventing a timely resolution to this situation,” Gawronsky said. “We want to make sure he understands that uncompetitive wages are leading those who work with youth in crisis to leave for better paying jobs in the adult system.”
Members of Local 221 specialize in diffusing emergencies and helping families before a complete breakdown, and young people find themselves in hospital, in the social service system, or in court. Providing a fair wage for these critical workers is a sound investment in Manitoba families.
Under the Return to Work Agreement, MYS and the MGEU agreed to resume bargaining at the earliest opportunity and will work together to secure the provincial funding needed to sustain youth crisis stabilization services into the future. Youth crisis stabilization staff at MYS will be compensated for wages and benefits lost during the strike.