Starting today for the next two weeks, members of Diagnostic Services Manitoba (DSM) – Locals 388-390, 392 and 393 – will take a strike vote at meetings across the province.
“These Locals rejected a final offer from the employer in May after over two years at the bargaining table because it didn’t adequately address ongoing concerns over recruitment and retention and excessive workloads,” said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky, who feels the issues still on the table are of great concern to all rural Manitobans.
“A major issue for our rural diagnostic health care professionals is recruitment and retention, and being understaffed because jobs are not being filled. These professionals are having to work too much overtime and then have to be on-call – it’s exhausting and isn’t sustainable.”
With calls for a return to the table going unanswered, the Locals’ Bargaining Committee is holding the vote with the aim to receive a strong strike mandate.
“No one wants to go on strike, but these are significant issues we’re trying to address – it’s becoming tougher and tougher to attract health care professionals to rural areas and that affects everyone,” Gawronsky said. “The government and the RHAs need to recognize and deal with this. Small town or big city, no matter what kind of health care services you need, where you live should not prevent you from accessing these services when you need them most.”
Check this calendar for a complete list of all DSM strike vote meetings in the Southern, Prairie Mountain, and Interlake-Eastern RHA locations.
Help send a message to the government! Tell them that where you live should not prevent you from accessing the services you need when you need them most. It’s time to return to the table and negotiate a fair deal with diagnostic health care professionals!