Skip to content

Union representing health care workers in Northern Manitoba strongly support strike vote

The bargaining unit representing the largest group of members within the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) voted 88 per cent in favour of a strike mandate in online voting and in-person meetings between Sept. 21 and Oct. 6.
Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals president Bob Moroz
Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals president Bob Moroz

The bargaining unit representing the largest group of members within the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) voted 88 per cent in favour of a strike mandate in online voting and in-person meetings between Sept. 21 and Oct. 6.

The MAHCP represents about 4,000 health care workers in 160-plus disciplines at several major hospitals and clinics in Winnipeg and Northern Manitoba.

MAHCP members in the Northern Regional Health Authority include audiologists, dietitians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, diabetes educators, mental health clinicians and respiratory therapists, among others. The MAHCP central table bargaining unit has been without a contract since March 2014.

“By giving our bargaining committee a strong mandate, our members have sent an equally strong message that we are beyond frustrated and no longer have the patience for further delays at the bargaining table,” said MAHCP president Bob Moroz in an Oct. 7 news release.

Strike votes were held Sept. 21-28 online and five in-person meetings in Winnipeg, Thompson, Flin Flon and The Pas were held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6. This was the first time that the MAHCP held online voting to increase member participation.

Moroz said on the MAHCP website that bargaining will resume Oct. 21.

“I am quite anxious to see the impact of this approved mandate and strong member support has on the process of bargaining,” he wrote in a message to members on Oct. 8 following a previous message the previous day in which he said, “It is the employer’s turn to present a response to us, and it is my firm belief that this strike mandate will go a long way towards ensuring a fair collective agreement can be reached.”

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks