A collective agreement between the SCRD board and Unifor Local 466 Negotiating Committee has been successfully ratified and will be effective in the new year.
According to a media release, the agreement includes annual increases, better health benefits, a focus on recruitment and retention of staff, and a new scheduling language for the transit service.
Wage increases are expected to start at six per cent on Jan. 1 and go up annually between two and four per cent, or off the Consumer Price Index, whichever is higher.
SCRD board chair Leonard Lee says he is happy to see the agreement in place in such a timely manner.
“To have an agreement ratified before the current one expires is virtually unprecedented and is a sign of true collaboration,” Lee says. “I would like to express my appreciation to everyone involved in the negotiations and I am confident this agreement shows staff how valued they are.”
According to union spokesperson Grant Vitanen, draft proposals were exchanged last month, and negotiations started on Oct. 30 towards an agreement.
