MPI workers walk off the job

MPI workers hit the picket lines Danton Unger reports on the job action from Manitoba Public Insurance workers and how services will be impacted in the province.

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) employees hit the picket lines on Monday morning after ongoing contract negotiations broke down last week.

As of 7:30 a.m. on Monday, 1,700 unionized employees across the province walked off the job. The employees include estimators, adjusters, call centre workers, and service centre representatives.

“It didn’t really have to come to this,” said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU).

“It’s unfortunate that Manitobans again have to pay the price for the government’s inability to bargain with workers in Manitoba."

According to MPI, the strike action comes after the MGEU rejected an enhanced four-year collective agreement worth 17 per cent in total monetary value, as well as an offer to avoid strike action by going directly to voluntary arbitration.

“This offer includes general wage increases, a new and permanent pay step of 3.5 per cent for unionized employees, a special wage adjustment for operations staff, a lump sum signing bonus, and other benefit enhancements for MPI employees and their families,” said Ward Keith, chair of MPI’s board of directors.

The MGEU said the 17 per cent figure is misleading as it includes benefits.

According to Ross, the Crown corporation’s current offer is an eight per cent wage increase over four years, which he said is not enough.

“We’re really just trying to get a fair deal and we’ll continue to work to get a fair deal,” Ross said.

“Our goal is to bargain a fair deal at the table and hopefully the employer will come back to the table and we can come to a place where we can settle this.”

On Monday night, MPI issued a statement saying all MPI locations will be closed and all scheduled appointments are cancelled until further notice. MPI says appointment cancellations include driver testing, driver fitness appointments. and estimates and adjustments. It says customers impacted by the cancellations will be contacted to reschedule at a later date.

The statement says all MPI Contact Centre will remain open for personal injury clais, non-drivable collision claims, and total-theft claims.

Manitobans reporting collision damage claims can go directly to an MPI-accredited repair shop for vehicle estimates and repairs.

Those with general inquiries or service transactions can visit one of MPI’s broker partners.

Essential services, including income replacement payments for personal injury claimants, will continue uninterrupted.

“In its 52-year history, MPI has never had a labour disruption of this nature,” Keith said.

Premier Heather Stefanson took to social media to say her government could not say yes to the union's demands.

"They're demanding increases double the size of health-care workers. That's where I draw the line," Stefanson said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Because it's time to stop playing politics, start binding arbitration and get back to serving Manitobans today."

- With files from CTV’s Dan Vadeboncoeur and The Canadian Press