Update: CUPE health care support staff send a strong message voting overwhelmingly to strike

Health care support staff in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Shared Health, Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) and Southern Health-Santé Sud (SH-SS) have sent a strong message to their employers by voting 99% in favour of strike action.

“Health care support staff in the WRHA and Shared Health have voted to strike because they are fed up with the government’s inability to recognize their value,” said Shannon McAteer,
CUPE Health Care Coordinator. “Health care support staff have endured so much with so little support, and it’s clear that they are ready to strike if needed.”

Health care support staff have been putting their lives and their families’ lives at risk every day by showing up to work on the frontlines of the pandemic from day one, a fact which has not been recognized at the bargaining table.

“Right now, Manitoba has 18,000 health care support staff who are exhausted and who feel disrespected by the government, despite being lauded as heroes,” said Debbie Boissonneault, President of CUPE 204. “This is both an overwhelming mandate, and a scathing review of government’s inability to recognize health care workers.”

CUPE healthcare workers have are sending a strong message to the government with a Province wide average of 97% in favour of strike.

The results by region are as follows:

• The WRHA and Shared Health represented by CUPE 204 and 500 voted 99% in favour of strike action.

• NRHA represented by CUPE 8600 voted 98% in favour of strike action.

• SH-SS represented by CUPE 4270 voted 92% in favour of strike action.