Manitoba union hopes for broader bereavement leave at Red River College Polytech

Red River College Polytech’s new three-year agreement with Local 73 expands eligibility for up to three days of paid bereavement leave to include additional relatives and comparable figures, and MGEU president Kyle Ross said the union hopes other employers will adopt similar provisions.

Red River College Polytech and Local 73 have ratified a new three-year collective agreement that expands paid bereavement leave. The change broadens eligibility for up to three days of paid leave to include the death of a parent's sibling, a sibling's child, grandparents or grandchildren, and people an employee identifies as comparable figures. Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, said he hopes more employers will follow RRC's approach. Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino said she was pleased with the contract and noted her role focuses on employment standards rather than collective bargaining. Key details: - The agreement covers close to 1,800 staff represented by Local 73 at Red River College Polytech. - Eligibility for three days of paid bereavement leave was expanded to include additional relatives and non-blood "comparable" figures in an employee's life. - MGEU president Kyle Ross said RRC is the first provincial employer he is aware of to adopt these provisions broadly and that the union hopes others will take similar steps. - The union anticipates that some members may raise similar proposals during an upcoming round of public-sector bargaining. - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business noted many small firms already offer flexibility but may lack capacity for broad, across-the-board changes, while Manitoba Federation of Labour leadership expressed support for the expanded provisions. Summary: The new RRC agreement extends paid bereavement leave beyond immediate family and introduces recognition for comparable figures, a change that union leaders described as a sign of increased workplace support. MGEU expects related proposals to appear in upcoming public-sector bargaining, and it is undetermined at this time whether other provincial employers will adopt the same provisions.