Manitoba Public Insurance letter to striking workers 'brazen effort' to sow division: union president

The union representing striking workers at Manitoba Public Insurance says the Crown corporation is attempting to divide employees in their ongoing labour dispute.

"Since last night, MPI has been targeting employees by sending many of our members texts and email messages that pressure them to go against their fellow members by crossing the picket line," Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union president Kyle Ross said Friday.

About 1,400 MPI workers represented by the union have been on strike since Aug. 28, after they were unable to reach an agreement on a contract with the public insurer.

On Friday, the union released a letter that it says was sent to employees by the Crown corporation, dated Thursday and signed by MPI vice-president Lisa Gendreau.

"We have received a significant number of requests from employees to return to work during the labour interruption," the letter reads, adding that anyone wanting to do so can contact their human resources department or union representative.

The letter also says there are currently two ways that the strike can be resolved. One is that workers can accept MPI's offer to voluntarily enter binding arbitration to settle general wage increases.

The other is to proceed to conciliation, but the letter points out that if that's not successful, the dispute could still end up in arbitration.

Under Manitoba's labour laws, parties involved in a labour dispute can apply for binding arbitration — in which a decision is legally binding and enforceable, similar to a court order — if a strike or lockout continues for 60 days.

Both sides have recently agreed to meet with a conciliator to help put an end to ongoing strike action.

The Crown corporation said in a Friday news release that it is optimistic advances are being made toward ending the strike, as the conciliation process is expected to begin early next week.

But Ross, speaking to picketing workers near the Gateway Road MPI service centre in Winnipeg on Friday morning, called MPI's letter "a brazen effort to divide us," which he says proves the union's strike action is working.

Their last contract with MPI expired in September 2022 and negotiations have been ongoing since then.

The corporation's Friday news release said its latest offer represents a "global monetary value of up to 17 per cent for the average union salary." MPI has said the offer includes expanded lump sum signing bonuses.

But the union says the Crown corporation is painting an inflated picture of that deal, since not all employees would receive the one-time payments and other enhancements.

'We will be at the table': Ross

The public insurer also says it is working to expand service delivery amid ongoing labour disruptions. Over 1,100 vehicle repair estimates have been scheduled by MPI during the first two weeks of the strike, according to its Friday news release.

Manitobans who have had Class 1-6 or air brake knowledge tests cancelled due to the strike, or who have already booked a test, can walk in to do the testing without an appointment effective immediately, the release says.

Road tests for a Class 5 licence — the most common licence type in Manitoba, which allows drivers to operate most passenger vehicles — have also resumed at MPI locations in more than 20 communities, and customers awaiting a test are being contacted to reschedule, the Crown corporation says.

MPI has also been exploring ways to continue to offer Class 1-4 road tests in Manitoba, which require more complex training and testing, as those licences are needed to operate vehicles such as ambulances, buses and semi-trailer trucks.

"All of our planning will maintain all expected public safety considerations," the release states.

Two days after the strike began, the public insurer announced a plan to allow some Manitobans who completed MPI's driver's-ed program to get their licence without a road test. That plan was halted the next day.

On Friday, Ross said that move shows that MPI will go to "irresponsible" lengths to avoid negotiating higher wages for all of its unionized employees.

"We will be at the table, working with the conciliator — and hopefully the corporation — to make that happen" next week, Ross said.