The following message was sent today to all members impacted by the Public Service Sustainability Act (Bill 28).
This fall, the MGEU and the other unions involved in the Partnership to Defend Public Services have been busy preparing for our upcoming court challenge of the government’s unconstitutional, heavy-handed wage freeze legislation (Bill 28) for public sector workers.
Government backs down from attempt to stall
On October 8, the government introduced an 11th hour amendment to Bill 28, known as Bill 2. Based on these amendments, the government asked the judge to adjourn our legal challenge.
The MGEU, along with our other union partners, immediately and publicly disagreed that these amendments provided any real reason to adjourn the proceeding. We said the timing of Bill 2 — just a few weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin — was outrageous and highly disrespectful to those Manitobans who provide our public services.
Days later, the government backed down from its latest stalling tactic, officially withdrawing its motion to adjourn.
The trial will begin as planned on Monday, November 18, 2019
Stay tuned for more updates as the court challenge proceeds
Bill 28 denies our public sector members their Charter rights to sit down and negotiate fair wage increases with their employer.
We look forward to finally having the opportunity to argue this case on your behalf and will keep you updated in the days ahead.
To learn more about Bill 28 and the government’s proposed amendments, check out the Partnership to Defend Public Services' Sustainability Act Fact Sheet .
In Solidarity,
Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU President