Party Leader James Beddome said that if elected, Greens would push for strong labour reforms including an immediate move towards a card check process for union certification and ensuring that collective agreements made between the government and unions are honored.
“Greens recognize that collective bargaining is a Constitutionally protected human right,” said Beddome, who attended the labour day parade yesterday along with several other Green candidates and supporters. “Part of recognizing that right is honouring collective bargaining agreements. By implementing the Public Sustainability Act, the PCs have shown that they do not value our hard working public sector employees, including teachers and health care professionals.”
Beddome said that if elected, Greens would reverse the Public Services Sustainability Act, and ensure that public sector front line workers would be meaningfully consulted before any major changes were implemented in the future.
In addition to respecting trade unions in Manitoba, the Greens also pledge to increase the minimum wage, implement a 35 hour work week to promote work/life balance, and ensure that workers in traditionally underregulated sectors (such as agriculture) receive the same protections as in any other industry.
MLA Wolseley candidate Dave Nickarz also wanted to stress that though some critics say that the Greens plan to transfer away from fossil fuels will harm workers in those industries, the Greens will take actions to replace jobs lost during the transition away from fossil fuels with a larger amount of better, long-term employment opportunities.
“Greens believe in building an economy that is based on a triple bottom line,” said Nickarz, who also attended the labour march. “We must promote economic growth that is good for the people and the planet, and a large part of building an economy that is good for the people is to ensure that no workers in Manitoba are left behind.”