Saturday at MFL 2015 got off to an interesting start as Stephanie Bloomingdale of the AFL/CIO in Wisconsin drew some disconcerting parallels between the policies and beliefs of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and our own Stephen Harper. That seemed to get the attention of everyone in the convention hall.
Several important resolutions were also passed. Key among these was one that called on the MFL to lobby the Provincial Government to ensure that there would be no erosion of home care services to Manitobans and to get them to cease using private companies to do RHA-related work.
A similar resolution called for the standardization of staff-patient ratios and for sufficient staffing levels for mental illness. One resolution put forward by MGEU members called on the MFL to lobby the government for an updated model for child welfare. Another called on the Government of Manitoba to create a provincial Emergency Services (EMS) system to better facilitate patient care and a labour-management committee to streamline processes for workers.
After delegates participated in Brandon’s first-ever Pride march, MFL elections saw the current executive re-elected for another term, with the exception of Ken Stuart, who replaces Kelly Moist (who did not stand for re-election).
The convention continues for another half-day on Sunday. On the agenda are speaker Erna Braun, Manitoba Minister of Labour, and further deliberations of a host of remaining resolutions.