Unions blast Manitoba government's move to merge health sector bargaining units

Two Manitoba unions are criticizing the province's recent changes to health care bargaining units, saying they will force members to work in unfamiliar environments and potentially jeopardize patient care.

Under a new regulation enacted earlier this week, Manitoba's 180 health sector bargaining units will be amalgamated into approximately 40, based on the type of work an employee does, not where they work.

In a Thursday press release announcing the change, Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the move should reduce inefficiencies and barriers within the health care system in Manitoba.

"This new regulation will define bargaining units by the work people do, not where they do it and create flexibility to help our health-care system become more focused on the needs of patients," the statement said.

The changes have been in the works since 2017, when the province passed Bill 29, titled The Health Sector Bargaining Unit Review Act. The act came into force when it was proclaimed last year.

But Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union president Michelle Gawronsky said the union is concerned that the change could allow employers to transfer their employees around the health care system into unfamiliar territory.

'Isn't good for the workers'

For example, personal care home workers could be transferred to a hospital, even if they've never worked in one before, Gawronsky said.

"The quality of patient care requires teams that have experience working together, and that develop an expertise and a familiarity with their unique patients," she said.

"Moving health workers into unfamiliar settings where they have little experience isn't good for patients, and it certainly isn't good for the workers that are providing the care."

Gawronsky said she is already getting emails from people who are concerned they might be forced to do a job they didn't apply for and aren't prepared for. 

"What's happening now is very scary for both the workers, and for the clients and the patients and the residents in nursing homes that rely on the care that is provided to them by the people that apply for the work, that take pride in their work," she said.

"They don't need to be told from day to day that they're going to be moving around and be unsure of where they're going to be working, and what care and who they're going to be looking after."

'Exercise in public relations'

Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals president Bob Moroz echoed some of Gawronsky's concerns.

"What I hear is that the employer wants the ability to be able to assign their staff wherever they see fit and whenever they see fit," said Moroz.

He said the province is engaging in an "exercise in public relations" that will ultimately increase the workload of unions and won't save on costs. 

"On the far end, what they'll have accomplished is they will have kept the unions very, very busy doing a lot, a lot of work for not a whole lot of real benefit in the end," he said.

"I'm very confident of that in three years, once we've gotten through all of the mess that they're trying to put us through, all these things are decided as per government, I'm going to still be challenging government to say, 'Well where are the savings that you found because of all this?' And I see no scenario where they're going to be able to point to anything."

Whether the province shrinks the number of bargaining units or not, Moroz said the same rights health-care workers are currently entitled to must remain in the collective agreements.

"Whether it's in a different book or it's all in one big book in the end, there's no real difference at the bargaining table, so it's a question of numbers and public perception," he said.

"People still need to have their interests represented. Just because you're in a professional technical group, it doesn't mean that one clause is going to cover absolutely every possible consideration in the entire system."

Staff will still have say: minister

Asked to respond to MGEU's criticisms, Friesen said staff will still have a say in where they work and what role they play in the system. 

"The new regulation will enable support staff providing direct services to patients to deliver services where they are needed," Friesen said in an email. 

"It will also eliminate inefficiencies and artificial barriers within Manitoba's health system, where staff doing similar jobs have different terms of employment and are often represented by competing bargaining agents."

The new regulations, enacted this week under The Health Sector Bargaining Unit Review Act, will define a total of six employer organizations, including each of the five regional health authorities and Shared Health as a provincewide employer.

The act designates seven groups for collective bargaining purposes: nurses, physicians, medical residents, physician assistants and clinical assistants, professionals/technical/paramedical, facility support, and community support.

A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said the health authority welcomes the change, as it will reduce the administrative costs and complexity of managing large numbers of bargaining agreements.