Union Bug Blog
-
Nov 29, 2017 -
Bus Fare Increase Unfair to Working Families
Last week the City of Winnipeg released its 2018 budget, and it included some bad news for those who depend on Winnipeg Transit. Bus fares are going up 25 cents from $2.70 to $2.95 while monthly fares will jump from $90.50 to $100.10. Seniors will have to dish out more too, as their fees will jump 22 cents from $1.18 to $1.30 per trip. To put this into perspective, if you buy a regular adult monthly pass every month of the year, you’ll be paying $115.00 dollars more annually.
-
Nov 24, 2017 -
New Parent Taking Parental Leave? What Canada’s EI Changes Mean for You
The Federal Government recently announced a number of big changes to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and leaves. Among the changes, they’re adding a new extended parental leave option, which will allow new parents to choose between an 18-month leave or the current 12-month leave.
-
Nov 17, 2017 -
MGEU Members Looking for Priorities in Upcoming Throne Speech
Mark your calendars! Next Tuesday, November 21, is Throne Speech day in Manitoba. It’s arguably one of the most important days of the year for any provincial government. Throne Speeches give the public a clearer picture of what the government has determined to be a priority and ultimately what provincial initiatives we can expect to see in the next year.
-
Nov 03, 2017 -
KPMG Has it Wrong: Social Housing Isn’t for-Profit
When the government hired private consulting firm KPMG to deliver a “value for money” audit of all public services, the request included a review of the province’s social housing system along with options to transform it.
-
Oct 18, 2017 -
KPMG's Value-for-Money Report is an Exercise in Confusion
This week's long-awaited release of the KPMG value-for-money report provided the background for an important policy announcement from Manitoba's finance minister. Based on the report's recommendations, Finance Minister Cameron Friesen advised that his government will be eliminating 1,200 jobs from Manitoba's civil service.
-
Oct 13, 2017 -
Mr. Premier, do you really want our opinions?
On October 4, the government announced the 2017 Pre-budget Consultations with just a handful of dates across the province. Centres like Steinbach, Thompson and Portage La Prairie weren't included. It was also odd that the government chose to provide only one week’s notice before the first meeting and allotted just one hour for each consultation, leaving a very small window for the public to ask questions or offer feedback.
-
Oct 06, 2017 -
Make Mental Illness Awareness Week a Call to Action
Established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association (and now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health), MIAW is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness.
-
Sep 28, 2017 -
What to Know About Our Right to Know
Today, countries around the world will mark September 28th as “Right to Know Day,” recognizing the need for greater transparency and access to government information. Here’s why we, as union members and public employees, should be paying attention.
-
Sep 26, 2017 -
Standing Up for a Fair Canadian Drug Plan
The Canadian Labour Congress recently launched a campaign designed to highlight the need for a national drug plan and demonstrate to Canadians the benefits of introducing one.
-
Sep 07, 2017 -
Cutting Taxes is Not the Answer
Last week I was chatting with my uncle, a retiree on a fixed income, about the health service cuts at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. He said “if the deficit is $83 million, why doesn’t everyone just paid a bit more in taxes and then cuts would not be required?” With consideration for one’s ability to pay, why not indeed?