Fall 2024 Manitoba Hydro Leadership and Union Tour Update – Manitoba Hydro International

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone from MHI, HVDC, Sony Place, and Wilkes who attended the recent breakfast and lunch events. It was a pleasure connecting with our members and employees from these locations at MHI Offices.

We were honored to have CUPE President Michelle Bergen, IBEW Business Manager Mike Espenell, as well as Vice Presidents Hal Turner, Ian Fish, Alastair Fogg, and CEO Allan Danroth in attendance.

Your valuable feedback and insights are greatly appreciated. These conversations are critical as we work together to create a stronger, more inclusive environment for everyone at Manitoba Hydro.

 

No Contracting Out Campaign

CUPE 998 is actively collaborating with our National Office on the No Contracting Out campaign. Building on the success of the “Keep Manitoba Hydro Public” campaign and the Manitoba government’s commitment to keeping Manitoba Hydro public, as announced in the 2023 Speech from the Throne, we achieved a significant victory for CUPE 998 and all its members.

However, we now need to strengthen our efforts to oppose contracting out of our work and begin the process of getting that work back in house.

We continue to witness contractors taking over jobs throughout the corporation, and it’s time for us to take a firmer stand. This issue is not unique to Manitoba Hydro; many Crown corporations are grappling with similar challenges.

A report by the Manitoba Research Alliance (MRA) on workers’ perspectives regarding the privatization and contracting out of Manitoba Infrastructure, published in 2021, remains highly relevant today. For several years, the Progressive Conservative government has aggressively reduced the number of government workers while shifting contracts and responsibilities to the private sector.

The report highlights the previous PC government’s push toward privatizing and outsourcing key aspects of Manitoba’s infrastructure and transportation services. It reflects the voices of public sector workers responsible for crucial tasks such as highway and bridge maintenance, snow clearing, capital project planning and execution, road safety and enforcement, trucking regulation, fleet management, water structure operations, ferries, and winter roads.

Key findings from the report, based on workers’ experiences, include that under the PCs:

– Understaffing is compromising public safety and leading to worker burnout.

– A reduction in the quality of service and infrastructure assets is anticipated.

– Taxpayers can expect higher costs with less value for money.

– Workers are being sidelined, and their expertise is ignored in decision-making.

It is time for the new Manitoba government to listen to the evidence that the previous government failed to hear. The report concludes that dismantling internal capacity, developed over decades, will be both costly and difficult to reverse. The time to act to prevent this costly mistake is now.

[Read the full report here.]

 

Nominations for Executive Elections Are Open

The CUPE 998 Nominating Committee is pleased to announce that the nomination period for the 2024 Executive Elections is now open and closes on October 17, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.

Campaigning will start of Oct 18, 2024, and will cease on Nov 15th, 2024.

For information see the 2024 Executive Election Guidelines and Nomination Form document.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please contact the CUPE Nominations Committee

In Solidarity,
CUPE 998 Nominating Committee

 

CUPE Recognizes The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2024

Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honor’s the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

On this day we honor the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Widespread public commemoration and acknowledgement of the tragic and painful history, continued impact, and intergenerational trauma of Canada’s residential school legacy is a vital component of the reconciliation process. You can visit the NTRC website here for more information about events happening around Winnipeg and across Canada. Also you can visit the CUPE National Website for more information

 

CUPE Bargaining Update with Manitoba Hydro

We are writing to update you on the progress of our bargaining process. CUPE met with the employer on September 24 and again today, September 26. We are approaching the conclusion of discussions on key non-monetary proposals.

Our next scheduled meeting will take place on October 11, where we will begin addressing monetary matters. Please rest assured that we remain fully committed to keeping you informed as negotiations progress.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity throughout this important process.

In Solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team
Michelle Bergen, Jonny Maria, Jason Paintin, Gord Meneer, Natalie Sinclair & Michael Crowley

Fall 2024 Manitoba Hydro Leadership and Union Tour Update Steinbach

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who attended this morning’s event in Steinbach. It was a pleasure to share breakfast with our employees at 175 North Front Drive, where VP Hal Turner, CUPE President Michelle Bergen, and AMHSSE Treasurer Grant Wiebe delivered insightful opening remarks.

We greatly appreciate the valuable feedback and input shared during the event. These conversations are important as we continue to build a stronger, more inclusive environment for all.

The tour will be making additional stops, and we will provide updates along the way. We look forward to engaging with more of you and continuing these meaningful discussions.

 

Fall 2024 Manitoba Hydro Leadership and Union Tour Update

The Fall 2024 Manitoba Hydro Leadership and Union Tour has officially begun. Yesterday, on September 17th, union president and business manager from CUPE & IBEW alongside representatives from AMHSSE, and Unifor visited Brandon, where we had the opportunity to engage with members over breakfast and hear your concerns.

We appreciate the valuable feedback shared, and we look forward to continuing these conversations. The tour will be making additional stops soon—please stay tuned for updates on upcoming locations.

 

CUPE Bargaining Update with Manitoba Hydro

CUPE is diligently working on behalf of our membership to secure a fair and equitable agreement. On September 12th and 13th, we met with the corporation to address key non-monetary proposals, and progress is being made. We anticipate that discussions around monetary issues will commence in the upcoming sessions.

Our next meetings with the corporation are scheduled for September 24th and 26th. Please be assured that we remain committed to keeping you informed as negotiations move forward.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity during this important process.

In Solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team
Michelle Bergen, Jonny Maria, Jason Paintin, Gord Meneer, Natalie Sinclair & Michael Crowley

CUPE Elections Committee

Your elections committee is as follows :

Committee Members: 

  • Fran Hayes – Chair
  • Don Gale
  • Trevor Laurie
  • David Ribachuk
  • Janice Fifer

Key Dates and Details:

  • Nomination Period: Opens on October 1 and closes on the third Thursday of October (October 17)
  • Positions Available: All positions are up for election for a three-year term, except for the Lead Steward.
  • Campaign Period: Once the nomination committee accepts the nomination campaigning will start on Oct 18, 2024 and ends on November 15, 2024 
  • Voting Period: Voting begins on November 18 and will remain open for 5 days, closing on November 22 at 4:00 PM

Results Announcement: The Nominations Chair will receive the election results from Simply Voting, and the Committee will notify the successful candidates.

Full election guidelines and rules will be available on the CUPE 998 website shortly. For any questions, please contact the Elections Committee.