Health care aides (HCAs) at Donwood Manor personal care home voted to join the MGEU on Friday, April 7, 2017.
Over 90 HCAs, including full-time, part-time and casual employees will form MGEU’s newest Local: Donwood Manor – Local 438. Workers in the Local chose the MGEU after seeing the many benefits offered, including having the lowest dues, a structure that supports all Locals, a long list of health care facilities already represented by MGEU, and access to a staff of experts.
“On behalf of all MGEU members, I’d like to welcome our newest members from Donwood,” says MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky. “It’s great to see how much they value what union membership has to offer and I look forward to working with them.”
“This is especially heartening to see because Bill 7 makes it that much more difficult for a group of people to unionize. But these folks weren’t deterred. They recognized the value of being part of this great union,” she said.
The first step for the new Local will be to hold elections and get to the bargaining table to establish their first collective agreement.
Bill 7, The Labour Relations Amendment Act
The Manitoba Government has made it harder for Manitobans to join a union. Amendments passed on Bill 7, The Labour Relations Amendment Act, and the bill officially came into effect on November 10, 2016.
The new legislation means:
· The absolute elimination of automatic certification;
· All labour certifications will be required to go to a vote once 40% of workers sign a union card; and
· A vote will be held within 7 days after the application is filed with the Manitoba Labour Board. Labour certification is granted once 50% of workers, or more, vote in favour of being unionized.