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MGEU members at the Knowles Centre denied wage increase

Bureaucratic red tape can undermine the value of negotiating a collective agreement. MGEU/NUPGE will be working to rectify this problem.

Winnipeg (29 May 2013) – Members at Knowles Centre are being denied their negotiated wage increase because the provincial government has yet to finalize the 2013 budget.

Grievance to be filed

On April 1, members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) who work at the Knowles Centre were due to receive a 2.9 per cent general wage increase. As of yet, the government  has yet to release the funds to the employer to provide these increases.

As a result Knowles Centre is unable to meet their obligations under the collective agreement. This violation of the collective agreement leaves the MGEU/NUPGE with little option but to proceed with a formal grievance demanding funds from the employer.

Government holds purse strings for not-for-profit funding

Although the government maintains that agreements are negotiated and signed between the union and the employers, most not-for-profits are required to submit financial settlements to the appropriate Minister’s department for approval before they are able to commit to the funds actually being available to reach a tentative agreement.

In some cases, waiting for this approval adds months to the bargaining process. In others, the government dictates to these not-for-profits as to what the monetary offers can or must contain if they are even going to be considered for approval.

Red tape hinders members progress

The MGEU/NUPGE believes this type of bureaucratic red tape undermines the value of negotiating a collective agreement and will be diligent in making sure the membership get the increases they worked so hard to negotiate and ratify in good faith.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE