labour

Common Front’s tentative deal would see salaries up 17.4% over five years

January 5, 2024 by Jules Bugiel

The Common Front has announced preliminary details of their tentative deal with the Quebec government. The coalition of unions represents 420,000 workers in the public and parapublic sector.

In an update published Wednesday (Jan. 3), the Common Front confirms they’ve secured a pay increase of 17.4 per cent over five years – below the projected rate of inflation but above the Legault government’s early December offer of 12.7 per cent.

The coalition also says that the agreement includes measures to protect purchasing power during its final three years, as well as improvements in working conditions.

Unions are holding general assemblies to vote on the agreement. More details are expected on Jan. 7.

Aerial photo of Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus

VIU and faculty association reach tentative agreement

January 5, 2024 by Mick Sweetman

Vancouver Island University (VIU) has reached a deal with its faculty association.

The three-year contract will last until March 31, 2025 as faculty have been working without a contract since April 1, 2022. The tentative agreement covers approximately 688 VIU employees who are members of the faculty association.

Faculty Association president Gara Pruesse says the union is happy to have a tentative agreement.

“I think that students should be pleased that we’ve reached an agreement that will improve the working conditions for faculty, who have been under considerable strain due to their working conditions,” she said. “That can only be a good thing for students.”

An email from the university to all VIU employees says that the tentative agreement aligns with the provincial government’s 2022 Shared Recovery Mandate and VIU’s People Plan commitments to wellness and equity.

The ratification vote for the tentative agreement will be on Jan. 11. Details will be released after that time.

A group of workers holding red and white picket signs that read "Unifor on strike" stand together some with fists raised.

Transit workers in Comox and Campbell River on strike

December 18, 2023 by Mick Sweetman

Transit workers in Comox and Campbell River went on strike Friday morning citing wages as the key reason for the job action.

While this shuts down public transportation for tens of thousands of people, the union and employer agreed to keep operating the HandyDART buses for people with disabilities.

Unifor national representative Gavin Davies says the three major stumbling blocks are the rate of pay for current employees, a proposal by the employer to pay new hires less, which he says will make it harder to recruit and retain drivers and lead to drivers working more overtime, and funding issues.

A statement by Pacific Western Transit says that the company offered wage increases that were higher percentages than those in recent BC Public Sector Union agreements, with an 18 per cent increase in overall compensation and a 15 and a half per cent increase to wages over three years.

A lineup of people next to a paved road and behind a row of orange traffic cones holding up signs and walking the picket line.

Public-sector unions call for new collective agreement before Christmas

December 14, 2023 by Taylor McClure

Today marks the last day of the common front’s seven-day public sector strike in Quebec and union leaders hope to reach an agreement with government officials before Christmas.

In its most recent attempt to encourage the government to invest in the education and healthcare system, Éric Gingras, president of la Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), said that the common front is putting “maximum pressure” on officials to take action.

He expressed that the will of public sector workers is to get back to work and to serve the population, but the Quebec government is not on the same page in terms of what they are looking for in their new collective agreement.

There is the possibility for more strike days if no agreement is reached before Christmas, according Gingras, but what happens next is in the government’s hands.

Local ONA President speaks about conditions which led to nursing strike action

September 1, 2023 by Alexander Wright

Last week, the 50 registered nurses, public health nurses, and registered practical nurses of Hastings Prince Edward Public Health who provide care and services for around 200,000 area residents began strike action. They have been without a collective agreement since December.

Joshua Davidson Marcon, president of the local Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) bargaining unit, spoke about his frustrations, including his management’s rejection of voluntary arbitration, and a compensation mandate that leaves female dominated professions at a disadvantage.

“The members almost unanimously…voted no for the offer, also before we were presented with a final offer, we offered the option of going to voluntary arbitration…unfortunately the employer denied that request,” said Davidson Marcon.

The management of Hastings Prince Edward Public Health were unable to respond by the time of this story’s airing. On August 28, they released a press release in general response, to which the ONA further responded.

Common Front’s tentative deal would see salaries up 17.4% over five years

VIU and faculty association reach tentative agreement

Transit workers in Comox and Campbell River on strike

Public-sector unions call for new collective agreement before Christmas

Local ONA President speaks about conditions which led to nursing strike action

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