MPI Workers vote to accept Tentative Agreement – Return to work could begin as soon as Friday

MGEU members (Locals 62 – 68) from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) have voted overwhelmingly to accept the tentative agreement reached on Tuesday, October 31 – putting an end to a province-wide strike that began on August 28.

The new collective agreement will provide all MPI members with wage increases of at least 13% over 4 years (September 27, 2022 – September 26, 2026).

“It’s been a tough round of bargaining and strike action stretching from summer into fall,” said MGEU President, Kyle Ross. “But our members stood their ground to achieve the fairness they deserved all along.”

Details of the wage increases in the new agreement are as follows:

2022 – 3%

2023 – 3%

2024 – 3.4% (2.9% General Wage Increase, plus 0.5% Retention Adjustment increase)

2025 – 3.6% (2.8% General Wage Increase, plus 0.8% Retention Adjustment increase)

Other highlights of the agreement include:

63% of members will receive an additional 3.5% wage increase over the life of the agreement from a new maximum increment step for each pay grade.

A one-time, lump sum signing bonus of $1,800 per full time employee. (pro-rated for part-time employees)

Members will receive two weeks Recognition Pay to acknowledge the more than three weeks of the strike during which no negotiations were possible as a result of the government transition process.

The no-layoff Memorandum of Agreement has also been renewed.

“Our members are keen to get back to work helping Manitobans,” Ross added. “We ask the public to have patience with members as they work to ramp-up services.”

MGEU and MPI are working to finalize a return-to-work agreement that aims to have members back on the job by Friday morning.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our members for the tremendous resilience and solidarity they demonstrated over the past 9 and a half weeks,” Ross said. “And I want to extend particular thanks and congratulations to the bargaining committee for their hard work and commitment in achieving this new agreement.”

Source: MGEU News