Labour Day is our opportunity to support and celebrate the accomplishments of all workers

A message from the President, Kyle Ross

What a difference one year makes.

A year ago, thousands of members were in the midst of the MGEU’s ‘summer of solidarity’—walking the line for wage increases that would help them catch up with the soaring cost of living.

MGEU liquor workers had just ratified a new collective agreement (after more than a month on strike), Land Titles Office members of Locals 397 and 399 were still on the picket lines in their own fight for fairness, and over 1,700 members at Manitoba Public Insurance had just taken province-wide job action (which would continue for the next two and half months).

It was an important time in our union’s history. Last summer showcased the most important part of being union members—the power of collective action.

Solidarity flows through everything we do as union members, always with the goal of putting people first and improving workers’ lives. And the summer of solidarity showed us that our current struggles require more than bargaining as usual.

Across the country, collective bargaining right now is about catching up and keeping up with increasing costs of living. Employers must come to the table with this reality in mind.

With over six thousand MGEU health care support services members rejecting their employers’ ‘best offer’ and providing a strike mandate earlier this month, these dedicated workers are sending a message that the status quo can’t continue. Underpaid and understaffed, they are struggling under the weight of a broken health care system.

Health care employers and the government need to recognize that they can’t expect to fix health care if they continue to offer wages that will ensure these workers remain the lowest paid in the country.

And we’re here to help ensure the voices of these workers are heard.

Whether it’s in health care, in the Civil Service, in Crown Corporations, in education, or at community-based agencies, MGEU members are always there to support each other and celebrate our achievements—that is the power of a union.

Last year’s summer of solidarity is one example of what we can accomplish when we join together. On this Labour Day, let’s carry forward that legacy of solidarity by reaffirming our commitment to justice, equality, and fairness at work. Let’s do this so every worker can improve their working lives and achieve their fullest potential.

Happy Labour Day!