The Manitoba government continues to make investments to secure the retention and recruitment of health-care community and facility support workers across the province through new memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that deliver a number of new incentives and initiatives to improve care for Manitobans.

“Support workers are incredibly valued members of our health-care workforce and represent one of the largest employee groups in terms of numbers,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon. “We are pleased to be able to recognize their dedication and efforts with these new and expanded incentives, as we continue to make Manitoba an attractive place to work and live.”

The incentives are part of Health Human Resource Action Plan, initially announced in November 2022. Today’s announcement extends a number of incentives already in place for nurses and allied health staff, to community and facility support workers employed in Manitoba’s health-care system.

These new initiatives include:

  • Wellness incentive: a one-time increase for each support employee’s health spending account of $500 for full-time employees and $250 for part-time employees, in addition to current health spending account allowances already in place.
  • Licensure reimbursement: Employees will be reimbursed for professional licence or association membership fees in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 licensure years for eligible employees (those employed with an included employer, employed within the applicable 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 licensure year, and who provide proof of payment for eligible fees).
  • Weekend premium: Employees working hours on weekends will receive an $8.00 premium for eligible worked hours. The weekend premium is retroactive to the first evening shift of Nov. 18, 2022, and will continue until ratification of the next collective agreement.

There are approximately 25,000 health-care community and facility support workers within the sector represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees and Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, the minister added, expressing appreciation for the collaborative and productive discussions that led to the signing of the MOUs.

“Community and facility support workers employed across Manitoba touch all areas of the health-care system, supporting the delivery of services in the community and in long-term and acute care facilities,” said Gordon. “Support workers include those providing direct care, such as health-care aides and home-care workers, while others are integral to the ongoing operation of facilities, working in areas such as security, laundry and food services.”

These incentives are in addition to the improvements achieved through the ratification of new, fair and long-term collective agreements for employees within Manitoba’s facility and community support sectors. The estimated value of these incentives, including retroactive payments, is $70 million, the minister noted.