NOT VERY WELCOMING
Staff at Winnipeg's Welcome Place back at work after months-long lockoutStaff with newcomer settlement agency can go back to work after union applied for binding arbitration
CBC News · Posted: Jul 14, 2021
Staff at Welcome Place were locked out on April 27. (Walther Bernal/CBC)
Employees with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council — also known as Welcome Place — are heading back to work after being locked out by their employer for nearly three months.
More than 20 casual and full-time employees at Welcome Place, an agency that provides settlement services for refugees and newcomers, were locked out on April 27.
Under current labour laws, parties involved in a labour dispute can apply for binding arbitration if a strike or lockout continues for 60 days.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2348, which represents the workers, said in a news release on Wednesday that it filed a request to the Manitoba Labour Board for arbitration after the Welcome Place lockout stretched to 60 days. That means staff are allowed to return to work while an arbitrator is appointed to help settle the dispute.
"We are disappointed that this employer chose to lock out its own staff in the middle of the pandemic," CUPE 2348 president Vivienne Ho said in the release.
"Our members are relieved that they can return to helping refugees and newcomers settle in Manitoba."
The lockout came after more than 13 months of collective bargaining between CUPE and Welcome Place, which lost a major contract two years ago that resulted in a 50 per cent staffing cut.
Employees with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council — also known as Welcome Place — are heading back to work after being locked out by their employer for nearly three months.
More than 20 casual and full-time employees at Welcome Place, an agency that provides settlement services for refugees and newcomers, were locked out on April 27.
Under current labour laws, parties involved in a labour dispute can apply for binding arbitration if a strike or lockout continues for 60 days.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2348, which represents the workers, said in a news release on Wednesday that it filed a request to the Manitoba Labour Board for arbitration after the Welcome Place lockout stretched to 60 days. That means staff are allowed to return to work while an arbitrator is appointed to help settle the dispute.
"We are disappointed that this employer chose to lock out its own staff in the middle of the pandemic," CUPE 2348 president Vivienne Ho said in the release.
"Our members are relieved that they can return to helping refugees and newcomers settle in Manitoba."
The lockout came after more than 13 months of collective bargaining between CUPE and Welcome Place, which lost a major contract two years ago that resulted in a 50 per cent staffing cut.
Fadel Alshawwa is seen picketing outside Welcome Place on April 28. Workers are now able to go back to work after their union applied for binding arbitration. (Lyzaville Sale/CBC)
CBC News reached out to the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council for comment on Wednesday afternoon, but didn't immediately receive a response.
The agency said in April the delay in reaching an agreement with its workers has "had a negative effect on MIIC's ability to accurately and effectively develop proposals to secure funding going forward."
"We need to realign our employee operational costs to match the internal changes made thus far and the continuing need for cost containment to ensure that Welcome Place can continue its mission to provide services to the refugee community," MIIC said in a news release at the time.
Frustrations mount as locked-out workers picket refugee settlement office in downtown Winnipeg
CBC News reached out to the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council for comment on Wednesday afternoon, but didn't immediately receive a response.
The agency said in April the delay in reaching an agreement with its workers has "had a negative effect on MIIC's ability to accurately and effectively develop proposals to secure funding going forward."
"We need to realign our employee operational costs to match the internal changes made thus far and the continuing need for cost containment to ensure that Welcome Place can continue its mission to provide services to the refugee community," MIIC said in a news release at the time.
Frustrations mount as locked-out workers picket refugee settlement office in downtown Winnipeg
Workers at Welcome Place at risk of lockout without labour agreement
CUPE says the remaining workers had to take pay cuts and a number of non-monetary issues like banking vacation time were also sticking points in the negotiation of the collective agreement.
The union also claimed in its Wednesday news release that the process that requires binding arbitration is being threatened by the provincial government's proposed Bill 16, which the union warns could result in prolonged lockouts or strikes.
The province plans to pass the bill this fall, making changes to the Labour Relations Act that would eliminate the requirement for binding arbitration after a 60-day dispute between a union and employer.
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The province has previously said the bill will improve financial transparency and that eliminating the requirement for binding arbitration would put Manitoba in line with other Canadian jurisdictions.
With files from Rosanna Hempel, Stephanie Cram and Ian Froese
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