It seems every day we hear from Unions about the challenges they are having with management in regards to hiring and retaining qualified staff/members.

A recent Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union report (State of the Civil Service 2023) discussed the employer’s use of an aggressive vacancy management process. Their experience with vacancy management has a direct relationship to an employer’s goal to reduce staff and costs. The employer is not laying off staff but also not rehiring qualified members. The workload has not changed but the work that has to be done is being done by the remaining staff.

How does this relate to me at the WCB?

In January 2023 we received a vacant position list which indicated that we had:
– 10 vacancies in our SafeWork department
– 19 vacancies in our Information Technology department

Your Union met with the VPs of both areas in February 2023 and discussed our concerns about the amount of empty desks in each area. We were told:

– We expect the workload in SafeWork to pick up
– In IT we heard how difficult it was hiring new staff but HR was working on it

In May 2023 we again asked for an updated list of Vacant Positions:

– 10 vacancies in our SafeWork department
– 23 vacancies in our IT department
– 2 vacancies in our Review Office department

We have also just heard of two deleted Information Technology management positions and existing staff now having to report to new management. An email was sent to the departments who were advised: their roles have been eliminated in preparation for restructuring to the new IT Operating Model and Digital Modernization program.

Now, we all know that a company such as the Workers Compensation Board relies heavily on a highly skilled IT department. Your Union’s concern; and we hope we are wrong, is if a highly skilled department is needed but we don’t have members in positions to assist in this endeavor, will this lead to a higher probability of aspects of the department being contracted out?

A review of the 2022 WCB Annual Report indicates a decrease in salaries, employee benefits and training from 2021:

16. Operating Expenses 2022 2021
Salaries, employee benefits and training $70,435 $74,268

This would indicate that the employer saved roughly for million dollars.

In a recent “All Hands Meeting,” a comment was raised that CUPE 1063 membership has been reduced by over 10%. The question was asked if in-scope staff levels would return to the previous numbers once the “Innovation, Improvement and Growth” project was complete. We were not given any indication of what the final staffing levels would look like.

Now, your Union is not here to give senior management ideas on operational requirements. However, we do expect to be a part of the process. Your Collect Agreement is in place to ensure that you are treated fairly.

As you recall, many of your participated in an Information Rally during our last bargaining process. The rally was put together to show the employer that not only did we want a fair deal but also to advise them that we would not accept new contracting out, tech change or job security language.

As you have heard at the All Hands meetings, the employer is putting priority on eliminating risk with our current IT hardware. Fair enough; but at what cost to the human side, our members.

“Grow our People” is on of the four pieces of the strategic framework at the WCB. It was less than four months ago that our entire membership was ready to take strike action. The labour relationship is damaged between the Union and the employer. We are open to improving this damaged relationship and we guarantee that job security will always be a priority.

In Solidarity,

Bob Sawchyn
President
CUPE 1063