Manitoba Nurses Ratify New Contract, Excluding Shared Health Nurses

Nurses in Manitoba have ratified a new four-year contract, but tensions remain high as those working at Shared Health, the province’s largest hospital and other provincial programs, rejected the deal.

The Manitoba Nurses Union, representing over 12,000 nurses in the province, announced the ratification of the contract by members at various health authorities across the province. However, the 3,400 nurses at Shared Health voted against the agreement, with 57 per cent rejecting the deal.

In response to the rejection, the union is now considering next steps, including continued negotiation with the employer or potentially taking a strike vote and job action.

The union’s bargaining committee had recommended that members ratify the contract, and voting took place across the province with a turnout of 74 per cent. The overall ratification rate was 51.2 per cent, with the Northern Health Region seeing the highest rate at 72.6 per cent.

The new contract includes a 2.5 per cent general wage increase starting in 2024, with additional payments for full-time, part-time, and casual nurses. There is also a $12,000 per year incentive for nurses, aimed at reducing overtime hours and reliance on private agency nurses.

Licensed practical nurses will also see market adjustments, with all classifications of nurses receiving a one per cent market adjustment this year.

The previous seven-year agreement expired on March 31, and the union was able to reach a tentative agreement with employers shortly after. Despite the rejection by nurses at Shared Health, the majority of nurses in the province have agreed to the new contract terms.