Métis, Michif CFS agencies call for review of 'unreasonable' arbitration decision

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 17, 2025 5:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Two Manitoba kid payment agencies person filed for a judicial reappraisal of amendments to a corporate agreement after binding arbitration ended a onslaught by their workers.

The agencies — Métis Child, Family and Community Services, and Michif Child and Family Services — person filed a announcement of exertion successful Court of King's Bench seeking a reappraisal of the arbitrator's May 20 decision, calling it "unreasonable."

The Manitoba Métis Federation said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday its agencies "cannot manage" fiscal liabilities acceptable by the determination owed to deficiency of capable backing from the province, and that having to comply portion offering families indispensable services puts them successful an "impossible position."

More than 330 employees with the agencies — represented by the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union — went connected strike March 25, demanding a caller statement that would lucifer a wage summation different civilian servants got successful 2024.

They went backmost to enactment 2 weeks later, aft MGEU reached an statement with the leader to resoluteness outstanding declaration negotiations done arbitration.

The Manitoba Métis Federation has antecedently blamed fund constraints for caller layoffs astatine the agencies. The federation said successful aboriginal March the currency crunch resulted successful astir 60 workers being laid disconnected portion the agencies were inactive bargaining, informing astir 100 to 150 were astatine hazard of being laid disconnected eventually.

"We bargained with this leader for implicit the past twelvemonth oregon longer, and they ne'er erstwhile brought up their quality to pay," MGEU president Kyle Ross said Tuesday.

"It lone came to fruition erstwhile we issued a … onslaught mandate. So it's truly challenging erstwhile they accidental these things. They whitethorn beryllium true, they whitethorn not. But for us, we're working to lick a corporate agreement, to get a woody for these workers."

'This statement is fair': union

The binding arbitration resulted successful wage parity for staff. The national said successful a release both agencies got "fair and reasonable" wage increases, with workers acceptable to spot a 14 per cent wage summation implicit 4 years nether the deal, which is set to past until Jan. 31, 2027.

It included an further maximum step, a one-time automatic measurement progression, and retroactive wage to Feb. 1, 2023, for each unit employed arsenic of the decision.

"This statement is fair.… When an arbitrator takes successful each the information, they regularisation with a just ruling," said Ross.

"This woody that was imposed connected some parties was already bargained by different radical that bash the nonstop aforesaid job, bash the nonstop aforesaid work, person the aforesaid education," helium said. "Workers doing the aforesaid occupation should beryllium paid arsenic as arsenic possible."

A provincial spokesperson said successful an email the Manitoba authorities can't remark connected the agencies' filing arsenic the substance is earlier the courts. 

The MMF said the agencies are seeking an urgent proceeding to supply a speedy reply to unit and clients.