Unions Backed the NDP—Now Nurses Are Paying the Price

The Manitoba Nurses Union just handed the Wab Kinew government a D- for its handling of healthcare. That should be a wake-up call—not just for the government, but for the union itself.

This is the same union that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless volunteer hours knocking on doors to help get the NDP elected. They took Wab Kinew at his word when he said he would fix healthcare and end homelessness. Neither has happened. Instead, the same people who campaigned shoulder-to-shoulder with nurses during the election now seem to have disappeared.

Let’s not forget who put them in office.

The Manitoba Nurses Union wasn’t alone. CUPE, the firefighters’ union, and others went all-in for the NDP. Political donations, volunteer time, rallies, and endorsements—these unions bet big on one party. And now their members are asking: where’s the return?

Let me be clear—I have the utmost respect for nurses. My mother became a nurse before she was murdered. I know what this profession stands for. I know the kind of people who choose this work. They don’t do it for glory or money. They do it because they care. That’s what makes the current situation all the more frustrating.

Unions have every right to support who they want. But when they throw their full weight behind one party and one leader, they lose leverage with everyone else. If you’ve already decided who to support before the campaign even begins, why would any other party waste time engaging you?

This is the problem.

Politics isn’t a team sport. Or at least it shouldn’t be. But unions in Manitoba have become so tied to one side that they’ve lost sight of their real purpose—fighting for their members. Not for politicians. Not for promises. For actual, measurable results.

Look at what’s happening. Nurses are burned out. Wait times are up. We still don’t have a real plan to address staffing shortages or the number of patients being treated in hallways. This was supposed to be the NDP’s signature issue. They told us they had a plan. Now the nurses are saying it’s worse than before.

In March, the Manitoba Nurses Union survey showed 96% of respondents felt the province had not made progress on staffing shortages since the NDP took office. Over 70% said workplace violence has gotten worse. That’s not just a low grade—it’s a failure.

And the people giving the grade were the same ones who helped write the campaign script.

That’s the danger of putting politics before performance.

You can’t hold a government accountable if you helped build it. You can complain, sure. You can issue a report card. But the politicians know you’re stuck. The trust was spent during the election. You traded your voice for a party banner.

This isn’t just about the nurses’ union. It’s about all of them.

CUPE. Firefighters. The MGEU. Too many have decided that the way to help their members is to get “their team” elected. But public service isn’t supposed to work that way. Governments change. Needs evolve. Issues become more complex. If your entire strategy hinges on one political party staying in power, you’re gambling with the very services your members deliver.

And let’s talk dollars for a moment.

Nurses start at around $38 an hour in Manitoba. That’s just under $80,000 a year—before taxes and after years of education and training. Meanwhile, the politicians they helped elect are taking home over $110,000 as base salary. Add in another $100,000 a year in expenses, staff salaries, and perks, and you quickly see where the money is going.

The irony? Most of these MLAs would have been out on the legislature steps chanting “Save Healthcare” before the election. Now, many won’t even return calls. There's no political crisis at the moment, so they’ve moved on. They have two more years before voters speak again—and they know it.

So maybe it’s time unions rethink their approach.

Stop betting on personalities. Start investing in solutions.

Stop knocking on doors during campaigns. Start knocking on doors of all parties with facts, data, and concrete plans.

If you want to improve healthcare, work with every government, not just the one you helped elect.

That’s how you hold government accountable. That’s how you win real change. Not through loyalty. Not through slogans. But through consistent, focused, non-partisan advocacy backed by evidence.

Let the politicians fight each other for power. You focus on outcomes.

Because here’s the truth: political power doesn’t fix hospitals. It doesn’t reduce wait times. It doesn’t hire more nurses. Good governance does. And good governance doesn’t come from allegiance—it comes from accountability.

The current model isn't working. It hasn’t for years. And until unions decide to put their members ahead of party loyalty, we’ll keep seeing the same cycle. Promises, elections, disappointment, repeat.

If you’re serious about helping your members, stop picking sides. Start asking hard questions of everyone who wants to lead this province. Work with whoever’s in power—but don’t carry their campaign signs. Let them earn your support through performance, not slogans.

You want to see better healthcare in Manitoba?

Then stop focusing on the colour of the campaign sign and start focusing on who can actually deliver the results your members—and all Manitobans—deserve.