WINNIPEG – Unionized workers at Manitoba government-run liquor stores, as well as warehouse employees and some office staff, have launched a one-day strike.
They are protesting contract negotiations and have been without a collective agreement for more than a year.
Manitoba Government and General Employees Union president Kyle Ross says the latest contract offer was for four years with two per cent wage hikes each year.
He says that is not enough to keep up with inflation, and it does not recognize what workers faced during the pandemic and an earlier spike in robberies that led to increased security in all government-run stores.
There was no immediate response from Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, and Ross says contract talks are scheduled to resume in the coming days.
The strike does not affect private retailers such as beer vendors and specialty wine stores.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023
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