Statement by MFL President Kevin Rebeck on the need for the Government of Manitoba to immediately implement 14 days of paid job-protected leave for all Manitoba workers:

Throughout our province, workers are increasingly being asked to stay home while we all confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools and post-secondary institutions are closed or closing, child-care centres are suspending services, and businesses and non-profit organizations are scaling back or voluntarily shutting down to play their part in managing the COVID-19 outbreak.

Manitobans are worried, and they are looking to their government for support to survive the financial and economic uncertainty ahead. Over the coming days and months, governments will need to enact a number of measures to protect the economic security of workers, families, and communities.

All of these things are being done in the interest of public health. But it also means that as each day goes by more workers will be off work and missing a paycheque. Protecting public health is fundamentally important, but so is the ability for workers to keep paying the bills.

Today, Manitoba Federation of Labour President Kevin Rebeck has sent the attached letter to the Premier of Manitoba, the Minister of Finance, the Leader of the Official Opposition, and the Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party to call on the Government of Manitoba to act quickly to make sure that all workers are supported financially with 14 days of paid job-protected leave if they stay home because they are self-isolating, sick, caring for children, or because their employer has made the decision to shut down or scale back operations in the interest of public health.