The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation and Union Clash over Strike Outcome

The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation and the Union Representing Employees heighten uncertainty over the outcome of the strike as each side sticks to its guns, leaving the conciliator unable to initiate a more early.

An independent conciliator met with both parties on Monday and recommended that they end the job action and proceed to binding arbitration over wage increases, which the state-owned company has accepted, reiterates a published press release Wednesday by the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation.

The Manitoba General and Civil Servants Union is refusing to go to arbitration, their employer said in the statement. Earlier this week, the Syndicate said it was open to exploring this avenue if a fair floor for salary increases is included in the process.

Under Manitoba’s Labor Relations Act, parties involved in a labor dispute can seek binding arbitration if a strike or lockout continues for 60 days.

On Wednesday, union president Kyle Ross said the Crown corporation is not prepared to make any concessions and that the arbitration process is not to the benefit of its members.

The people who are on strike now want us to find a solution on which they can vote. If we go to arbitration, people will not be able to vote on it, it will be imposed. We want to negotiate a solution at the table. The employer has not changed its position since July 13. The final offer is the only offer he gavelaunches Kyle Ross in an interview with Radio-Canada.

The president of MGEUKyle Ross, indicated last week that the latest offer calls for a salary increase of 2% per year during the proposed 4-year contract.

Kyle Ross clarified that the Union is in contact with the conciliator almost every day. The last contact was on Wednesday, he adds. The union president hopes to be able to resume negotiations, but he believes that the employer must come to the negotiating table in a more conciliatory way.

The 1,400 employees of provincially run liquor stores represented by MGEU have been without a contract since their last collective agreement expired in March 2022.

The workers began their pressure tactics on July 19, with limited strike days and refused to do certain tasks afterwards. The movement turned into a general strike across the province last Tuesday.

With information from Emily Brass and Catherine Moreau