The Manitoba Council of Health Care Unions

The Manitoba Council of Health Care Unions (MCHCU) was formed in November 1979. It is comprised of ten unions representing more than 40,000 health care workers and takes a co-operative and collaborative approach to labour relations matters in the health care. Negotiations, employee pension and benefits plans and EAP are a few of numerous subject areas of importance to its members.

Learn more about the MCHCU>>

  • MNU wins Hep C case

    A recent decision by the Workers’ Compensation Board Review Office has resulted in Hepatitis C(Hep C) being categorized as an occupational disease.

    “This decision is precedent setting for MNU as it puts pressure on work place health and safety to be more supportive of nurses reporting needle stick injuries, and to develop stronger policies and protocols for dealing with these injuries,” said MNU president Sandi Mowat.

    Case History

    A needle stick injury occurred in 2005 and the nurse was diagnosed with Hep C. She applied for workers’ compensation but her claim was denied on the grounds that Hep C was not recognized as an occupational disease.

    The nurse contacted MNU for help.

    The MNU WCB advisor requested the WCB case manager to review the decision. The claim was again denied.

    MNU then began a process which took several years and moved through several appeals.

    On October 28,2011, MNU received notification that WCB had concluded that the nurse did in fact sustain an injury from an accident at work, which resulted in an occupational disease(Hep C).

    As a result of this ruling, the member will receive retroactive pay as well as other benefits. This decision also builds a frame work for dealing with future needle stick claims.

  • MCHCU congratulates SFL on success

    MCHCU congratulates the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) for their hard-fought success in protecting the constitutional rights of workers.

    Justice Dennis Ball, a Queen’s Bench judge, recently ruled that a proposed Saskatchewan law aimed at limiting the ability of public sector workers to go on strike, is unconstitutional.

    In a 132-page decision, the judge said the Public Service Essential Services Act — also known as Bill 5 — infringes on workers’ rights and is of “no force or effect.”

    Bill 5, introduced in 2008, set out a process where workers like nurses can be declared essential and banned from going on strike. A Charter Challenge was launched by the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, and three Intervenor unions, SEIU-West, CUPE, and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).

    Here is a copy of the judge’s ruling.
    SFL v Province of Saskatchewan

  • MCHCU Launches Website

    MCHCU is excited to announce the launch of our website.

    This site will feature updated news on issues affecting health care workers as well be a resource in areas such as health and safety, pensions and more.

    We will be adding more links and information in the coming weeks, and appreciate your patience as we work out the remaining details.

    In the meantime, if you have any suggestions and recommendations about things you’d like to see on the site or ways in which we can improve, please let us know.

    We welcome your feedback.