Winnipeg – Employees at Maples Personal Care Home (PCH) in Winnipeg represented by CUPE Local 2719 ratified a new collective agreement on Wednesday, July 31st.

A 94% strike mandate was achieved on June 28th, followed by four days of information pickets and meetings with a provincial conciliation officer. These information pickets drew over a hundred supporters, including CUPE members from across Manitoba.

CUPE National Representative Paula Raposo says, “The bargaining committee worked extremely hard to achieve a fair contract, we are proud of their accomplishments throughout this difficult round of bargaining”.

The primary outstanding issues included wage parity with other personal care homes operated by Revera, as well as addressing the ongoing issue of working “short-staffed”.

Members of CUPE Local 2719 care very deeply about the quality of care they provide to the residents of Maples PCH. Throughout negotiations members have been calling on the employer to provide adequate staffing levels in the facility.

The employer agreed to a Letter of Understanding, establishing a committee to monitor and assess staffing levels in the facility, as well as a commitment to ensure full staffing no later than October 1st.

“Long-term care employees province-wide have raised concerns that there is not enough staffing in Manitoba’s personal care homes” said Raposo. “At Maples they are consistently working short staffed, in addition to being underpaid for years – we are hopeful that this agreement will bridge the wage gap, and address the staffing issue seriously.”

CUPE Local 2719 represents 130 health care aides, dietary aides, recreation facilitators, and cooks at Maples Personal Care Home.