Last Thursday, members of MGEU Local 214: Family Services, Family Support rejected a tentative three-year agreement with their employer, Family Services of Winnipeg.
As is the case with most social service agencies, wages continue to be a stalling point and Local 214 members did not feel the employer’s offer of 0%,1%, and 1.5% wage increases were adequate in addressing their concerns.
Negotiations have been ongoing since December 2011 but the two sides have never really been close on monetary issues. The Local 214 bargaining committee has asked the employer to discuss the possibility of improving the offer with their funders (which include the Province and the United Way of Winnipeg) before attempting to return to the bargaining table. Without this happening, the committee isn’t not sure how a deal can be reached without the Local taking strike action.
The MGEU represents about 90 education and support members who deliver family resource programs in Winnipeg.