A former Manitoba health minister who challenged Premier Greg Selinger and ran unsuccessfully in the federal election has a new job.

Erin Selby will start next week as a negotiator for one of the province's largest unions — local 832 of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Selby was one of five ministers who questioned Selinger's leadership last year and stepped down from cabinet.

She supported another rebel minister, Theresa Oswald, in a leadership contest that Selinger survived by a mere 33 votes.

Selby resigned her legislature seat in September to run for the federal NDP in St. Boniface-St. Vital, where she finished third.

Selby's new employer represents more than 15,000 workers in Manitoba, and its president, Jeff Traeger, endorsed Selinger during the leadership race.

Selby declined an interview request Thursday and directed questions to Traeger, who was not immediately available for comment.