MPI employees’ strike: Where it stands

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) remain at an impasse following a five-week-long labour strike and four days of conciliator-led discussions. 

MPI presented what it said was its “significantly enhanced” final offer to the union Tuesday. The offer includes total wage adjustments of 12.5% universally to all employees over time, along with an additional and immediate one-time signing bonus worth 2.8% of a worker’s average salary, MPI said in a press release Wednesday. All other benefits were also retained in the enhanced final offer. 

“The final offer tabled by MPI officials yesterday has a total four-year monetary value of approximately $3.3 million more than the Aug. 22 offer, over 10% more in new money.” 

But MGEU rejected MPI’s “significantly enhanced” characterization of its latest offer. “The bargaining committee representing over 1,700 MGEU members at MPI says the wage offer has barely changed from what was previously on the table,” the union said in a statement Wednesday. 

MGEU claimed the offer has changed in three ways: 

• The proposal to submit general wage increases to binding arbitration has been withdrawn by MPI; 
• A 1% “special adjustment wage increase was offered to non-operations staff (in 2023), matching the existing offer of a 1% “retention adjustment” wage increase for operations staff (in 2025); and 
• An extra step that would provide a 3.5% increase to about half of all MPI members in 2024 was moved up to 2023. MPI argued the 3.5% “permanent base pay step [is] applicable across all pay grades,” effective Oct. 1, 2023.
  

MGEU president Kyle Ross said the latest offer “still falls far short of the rising cost of living” and the wage increases the Premier and MLAs are taking for themselves. “The reality is that one-third of MPI workers would receive wage increases of just over 9% over four years. That is not fair.” 

Related: MPI employees’ job action: What it means for brokers

In an emailed update sent to members, the bargaining committee said “the latest offer leaves far too many members behind. For that reason, [MGEU was] not prepared to put this revised offer to a vote at this time.” 

The Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba (IBAM) told Canadian Underwriter Thursday it believes talks should continue. “IBAM would like to see both parties continue in discussions and come to an agreement that is fair for all stakeholders,” IBAM CEO Grant Wainikka said. 

When asked how the strike is affecting brokers in Manitoba, Wainikka said, “brokerages have definitely been busy but are available and very willing to offer advice and service to our mutual customers.  

“Some transactions are taking more time than is normally the case. Brokers are working through this as best we can.” 

MPI members have been without a wage increase for four years and went on strike on Aug. 28. As a result of the job action, all MPI service and claim centres, as well as the physical damage centre, closed to the public, including the cancellation of most scheduled appointments. 

Wainikka said brokers have made adjustments to assist clients with their auto insurance since the strike began — IBAM and brokerages have been working with MPI to streamline some interactions in an effort to minimize the impact of the strike on clients.  

“For example, we have jointly identified some transactions that normally require a ‘forced call’ or override from MPI and have brought in efficiencies so that the wait time for customers is minimized,” Wainikka said. “We are hopeful that this could lead to lasting change with some of these transactions as this ultimately benefits customers.” 

Feature image by iStock.com/tillsonburg