Disabled residents’ needs a priority during aides’ strike, health minister says | Maqvi News

Manitoba’s health minister says ensuring disabled residents of an independent living complex aren’t left in inhumane conditions due to a strike by caregivers is the government’s top priority.

More than 150 unionized workers at Ten Ten Sinclair in Garden City and the non-profit’s other its independent living facilities in the city hit the picket line Wednesday, seeking better pay after four years without a contract.

Uzoma Asagwara, responding to questions in the house Thursday, said their department has been in regular contact with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority about the walkout.

Tory critic Kathleen Cook said she was contacted by a resident who, as of mid-morning Thursday, was still waiting to hear about getting help.

“I do not think that that’s adequate care,” Cook said.

Asagwara said the government would look into the resident’s complaint.

“The top priority for our government in the dispute… is to ensure residents… receive the care they depend on,” Asagwara said, adding residents should contact their MLA or their office.

Ten Ten Sinclair Housing Inc. is a non-profit organization that operates its 75-unit main building on Sinclair Street near Leila Avenue, and six other facilities across the city. Most workers on strike are health-care aides represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees of Manitoba.

The WRHA funds Ten Ten Housing’s operation costs, including wages, but said Wednesday it is not responsible for any aspect of negotiating with the union.

CUPE Manitoba president Gina McKay disagreed, calling the WRHA’s funding commitments a “sticking point” to ending the strike or having it drag on.

“That operational funding needs to be secured from the WRHA for Ten Ten Sinclair to be able to make those offers, and so they are a part of the bargaining process in that way,” she said. “CUPE wants the WRHA to step up so that these workers can get back to caring.”

The WRHA said Wednesday that it was looking for replacement staff to fill in shifts for striking staff.

Striking health-care aides are not considered “essential workers,” meaning they are not bound by law to work during union action to maintain essential services.

McKay said the strike speaks to the need for anti-scab legislation being promised by the NDP government.

“We could talk about all the different workers, essential-service agreements, etc., but the bottom line is here, we need a commitment of funding, and we can resolve this,” she said.

“And then we don’t have to talk about who’s coming in to do the work because we can pay workers and bring them up (to) a fair wage.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca