Union announces provincewide Liquor Mart strike
Global News
After the MBLL announced 10 more stores would be shuttered beginning Tuesday morning, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union declared its members on full strike.
The head of the union representing striking Manitoba Liquor & Lottery employees says members will continue to picket provincewide until the Crown corporation presents them with what they feel is a fair deal.
After the MBLL announced that 10 more Liquor Mart stores would be shuttered beginning Tuesday morning, the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union declared its members on full strike.
“This is not where we wanted to be today,” MGEU president Kyle Ross said at a press conference Tuesday morning.
All Liquor Marts in Winnipeg will remain closed indefinitely save for five locations – the Crewstview, Garden City Square, Grant Park, Hargrave & Ellice and St. Vital Square locations – according to the Liquor Mart website. The stores will be manned by non-union management staff.
The provincewide strike includes the distribution centre and head office.
Strike action began July 19 when negotiations between the union and the Crown corporation began. Since then, multiple stores have been locked and MBLL has hired replacement workers to work the distribution centre.
Union members are demanding the same wage increase Premier Heather Stefanson and her cabinet are due to receive – 3.3 per cent in 2023 and 3.6 per cent in 2024.
The Crown corporation is offering a two per cent raise to workers over four years, which means an employee earning a base wage of $14.91 will earn $18.57 after minimum wage is due to increase to $15.30 on Oct. 1.