MPI strike over as union members ratify deal; services to resume Friday

It’s official – the lengthy MPI strike is officially over as workers voted to ratify a deal Wednesday bringing a dispute lasting more than two months to an end.

The new contract will provide workers with wage increases of at least 13 per cent over four years, along with a one-time lump sum signing bonus of $1800 per full-time employee.

“It’s been a tough round of bargaining and strike action stretching from summer into fall, but our members stood their ground to achieve the fairness they deserved all along,” said MGEU president Kyle Ross.

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MPI says workers will be back on the job Friday when full service will be restores.

All service and claim centres will reopen at 1 pm on Friday, while customers who have had appointments cancelled will be contacted to reschedule.

“This has been a difficult time for MPI employees and our customers,” said MPI Board Chair Carmen Nedohin. “I look forward to working with leadership to rebuild the culture of the organization while we restore services for communities across the province.”

The resolution comes almost two weeks after the new NDP government appointed a new board of directors with a goal of resolving the strike.

The deal also includes two weeks of recognition pay for members to acknowledge more than three weeks of the strike where no negotiations were possible due to the government transitioning.

And 63 per cent of members will receive an additional 3.5 per cent wage increase from a new maximum increment step for each pay grade.

The strike began on August 28 and MGEU says it was one of the longest strikes its been involved in since the 1990s.