Manitoba’s allied health-care workers ratify new deals

An undated stock image of a doctor's stethoscope and a pen (Pixabay/Pexels).

Manitoba’s allied health-care workers have ratified four-year agreements, which include wage increases and workload improvements.

On Thursday, the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), which represents 7,000 allied health-care workers, announced that the majority of members voted to ratify the agreements reached with employers on March 7.

The union notes the agreements are for Shared Health, Winnipeg-Churchill, and Northern Health Region employer organizations.

The contracts include general wage increases of 12.25 per cent over four years, as well as improvements to work-life balance, workload, and safety concerns. They also include a $3/hour step adjustment for most classifications, rural and northern wage differentials, and wage parity for paramedics.

MAHCP adds that the new agreements do not address issues impacting retention and recruitment, including improvements to the Healthcare Employee Benefits Plan.

“The new contract is the starting point to stop the bleed and keep more allied health professionals on the job while Manitoba trains and recruits more to fill the thousand vacancies that have built up in recent years,” said MAHCP president Jason Linklater.

“Employers must prioritize implementing the contract as quickly as possible before Manitoba loses more specialized allied health staff.”

MAHCP members have been without a contract for nearly a year.

Workers were set to take job action earlier in the month; however, a strike was averted when a tentative agreement was reached.