Technical, administrative support staff at Manitoba Hydro vote for strike action

Technical and administrative support workers at Manitoba Hydro have voted in favour of strike action after their union says negotiations with the Crown utilities corporation reached a stalemate. 

CUPE Local 998, the chapter of the union representing about 870 Manitoba Hydro workers, said the strike vote comes months into bargaining in which the Crown corporation has failed to present an offer that is consistent with other bargaining units.

The vote in favour of the strike mandate happened on Friday. The union said in a statement Monday that it is filing for conciliation services in an attempt to reach a deal before setting a strike date, which could happen within a few weeks. 

The union said the Crown corporation was mismanaged by the previous PC government and the NDP government has failed to "right the ship," despite its promises. 

A spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro said the Crown corporation remains committed to the collective bargaining process with hopes of reaching a fair settlement consistent with agreements reached with other bargaining units.  

Manitoba Hydro workers represented by Unifor ratified a new contract with the Crown corporation earlier this year and a tentative agreement with workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union's local chapter in 2023.

CUPE said it is bargaining for wage increases equal to other bargaining units, the reversal of privatization efforts and addressing union recognition issues by Hydro management. 

The union said its Local 998 chapter is the second-largest bargaining group at Manitoba Hydro, representing IT, the customer engagement centre and other technical and administrative support staff.