Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2034 walked off their jobs on Tuesday afternoon after rejecting the latest contract offer by Manitoba Hydro.
Union officials said in a release that their members would be starting a general strike at 1:30 pm March 23 and continue until 8:00 am on Thursday March 25.
IBEW says that the offer from the company offered zero percent increases in 2019 and 2020, a .75 per cent increase in 2021 and a one per cent increase in 2022 but did not address the three unpaid days members were forced to take in 2020.
Manitoba Hydro said that on top of the wage increases they also offered increased benefits and an extension of a “no layoff” clause for the 2021-22 fiscal year.
IBEW had been set to strike last week but postponed the general strike when a last-minute offer was received from Hydro.
94 per cent of the union’s members voted on the contract with 88 per cent rejecting the offer.
Manitoba Hydro says that contingency plans are in place to maintain electric service. Hydro also says that they also have plans to maintain public safety around infrastructure and hydro facilities.
“Public safety is our number one priority, and we will do everything we can to ensure we respond to issues as quickly as possible until the strike is over,” said a statement from Hydro.
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