Latest bargaining offer rejected by Red River College Polytech, Assiniboine Community College staff

Staff at Red River College Polytechnic and Assiniboine Community College have "overwhelmingly" rejected the latest bargaining offer from their employers, roughly one month after holding off on planned strike action.

"It isn't good enough for our members. It's unfortunate," said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU).

Ross said employees voted on the latest offer over the past week and the final results were tabulated on Wednesday.

On March 25, staff at both of the colleges voted in favour of striking. That action was set to begin April 11, but was put off when the employers and union met with a conciliation officer following information pickets in Winnipeg and Brandon, the union said previously.

The latest offer was tabled to the union's bargaining committee during that meeting.

It applied to nearly 1,900 staff working as instructors and in administrative and information technology roles at the colleges' campuses in Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Winkler, Steinbach and Dauphin.

While striking is "always a last resort," Ross said instructors and other support staff at the two colleges are among the lowest paid in the country.

"We're going to go back to the table and hopefully work with these employers and try to get a deal that's fair and reasonable that helps our members catch up and keep up," he said, adding members have been without a deal for two years.

"It's time for the employers to show some respect for the work these people do. They're an important piece of our economy."

He said the goal is to continue bargaining with the employers to avoid having to strike.

A notice to RRC Polytech students and staff on Wednesday said that while the outcome of the vote is "disappointing," there would be no effect on the college's operations yet, as itwill carry on negotiations with the union later this month.

"We will continue to work towards a new agreement that ensures the College can support our staff, faculty, and ultimately our students while maintaining the financial sustainability needed to avoid impacting our programs and services," the notice said.

Assiniboine Community College posted a similar statement on its website, saying it hopes to reach a tentative agreement and avoid a strike when it returns to the bargaining table with the union.

"Students will remain our priority as we move forward. At this time, we can't say if, when or how a strike may impact college operations and services, but in the event of a strike, we are committed to putting the interest of our students first," the statement said.