Custodians at Seine River School Division accept new 4-year contract, ending strike: union

Custodians at Seine River School Division have voted to accept a new collective agreement, ending just over two weeks of strike action, the union representing them says.

Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union which represents the 47 custodial workers with the southeastern Manitoba division, says the new offer was reached with the help of a conciliator.

The new, four-year contract includes general wage increases of just over 20 per cent that will be in effect from July 2021 to June 2025, the union said in a news release Tuesday.

Increases to overtime, long-service allowance and family-related leave are also included in the new contract.

Staff have been working without a contract since 2021 and hoped to negotiate wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living, the union previously said.

Last December, members voted to reject the division's offer of general wage increases of about 9.8 per cent over four years. They voted in favour of strike action later that month, which they startedon Feb. 12,said MGEU.

About 4,600 students in and around St. Norbert, La Salle, St. Adolphe, le des Chnes, Lorette, Ste. Anne, La Broquerie and Richer attend the division's 15 schools, according to Seine River's website.