School division custodians vote in favour of new agreement

An empty classroom is seen in this undated file photo.

Custodians in Seine River School Division will back on the job Thursday after going on strike.

Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) says in a release Tuesday custodians from Seine River School Division (SRSD) voted to accept SRSD’s latest offer.

“The bargaining committee always knew that a deal could be reached at the bargaining table, and with the assistance of a conciliator, that was achieved. It’s just unfortunate that these MGEU members had to take strike action for that to happen,” MGEU President Kyle Ross said in the statement.

The 47 workers went on strike February 12 after their union and the division failed to come to an agreement. At the time wage concerns was a major issue.

MGEU says members will be getting wage increases between roughly 16 per cent to slightly more than 20 per cent over the four year agreement. An MGEU spokesperson tells CTV the agreement will be in place from July 2021 to June 2025 with retroactive pay for members.

MGEU says family-related leave, increases in overtime and callout provisions, and long-serve allowance were also part of the agreement.

CTV News has reached out to SRSD. It has not yet heard back.