Manitoba’s Civil Service members are preparing to hold a strike vote, after the employer provided a settlement offer at the bargaining table that fails to help members catch up with the soaring cost of living.
The MGEU Bargaining Committee representing over 11,000 members of Manitoba’s Civil Service began negotiations with the Province in March 2023.
Last week, the employer presented members with a settlement offer, which includes wage increases of only 2% in each year of a four-year collective agreement (for a total general wage increase of just 8%).
“Unfortunately, this offer from the province falls far short of the soaring cost of living – which rose by 7.9% last year alone,” said MGEU President Kyle Ross. “It also falls well short of the increases the Premier and MLAs have taken for themselves (3.3% in 2023, 3.6% in 2024 and 3.6% in 2025).”
As a result, the Bargaining Committee informed the employer yesterday that the two sides have reached an impasse and began making preparations to take the offer out for a vote with a strong recommendation for members to reject it, while also providing the committee with a strike mandate.
Since then, the employer has asked the Bargaining Committee to return to the bargaining table. The Committee plans to meet with the employer tomorrow, and if there are significant developments in negotiations they will send an email update members.