Canadian Labour Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a HAB Press business 2020 Strike ends after SkyTrain, CUPE reach deal VANCOUVER — A three-day strike by SkyTrain workers end- ed after a tentative agreement was reached on Dec. 10 follow- ing a bargaining session between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 7000 and the B.C. Rapid Transit Company (SkyTrain). The eleventh-hour deal goes a long way to address many of the union's concerns, says Tony Rebelo, CUPE 7000 president. "Both parties worked long and hard throughout the week- end, Monday, and into Tuesday morning, to get this deal done." CUPE 7000 represents about 900 SkyTrain workers. The last contract expired on Aug. 31. Ontario nurses file charter challenge TORONTO — The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) filed a charter challenge of the Pro- gressive Conservative govern- ment's Bill 124 on Dec. 17. "As the union representing registered nurses and health- care professionals in Ontario, ONA believes Bill 124 discrimi- nates against nurses and all On- tarians," says Vicki McKenna, ONA president. "This legislation is nothing but a continued at- tack on the right to free collective bargaining without interference, as was affirmed in 2015 in a Su- preme Court of Canada ruling." Bill 124, passed in November by the government, imposed a three- year period of "moderation" in the form of salary and compensation caps for many nurses and other public-sector employees. The three-year timeframe in which nurses in various bargaining units will be under wage "moderation" will span at least a six-year period, during which the province's fiscal situation will vary which will cast doubt on government's claim of a current fiscal "crisis," says the union. Royal Roads employees ratify contract VICTORIA — The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 3886 support staff at Royal Roads in Victo- ria voted on Dec. 13 to ratify a new three-year collective agree- ment, signing off on the tentative agreement reached on Dec. 9. "We are pleased that mem- bers agreed that we key in on the living wage issue," says Don Burrows, CUPE 3886 president, who noted that 56 per cent of membership were working for less than a living wage. "We fought really hard for this, so that members at the lowest pay rate will now receive a living wage." The new agreement follows the provincial mandate of two- per-cent increases in each year of the three-year contract that runs from June 1 to May 31, 2022. Other items negotiated include an increase for safety footwear from $150 to $225 as well as reim- bursement of protective clothing and wet weather gear required to work safely, says the union. When on overtime callouts, CUPE 3886 members will now receive a meal expense reim- bursement equal to the travel expense policy for dinner. Lan- guage improvements include changes to union time off that will benefit all workers as well as improvements for seasonal workers, says CUPE. Niagara care workers join Unifor BEAMSVILLE, Ont. — Work- ers at the Albright Gardens Home in Beamsville, Ont. voted to join Unifor on Dec. 17 after years of not getting the repre- sentation they needed from their previous union. The 240 new members of Uni- for work in the long-term care home nursing, recreation, di- etary, housekeeping and main- tenance. The had previously been mem- bers of the Christian Labour As- sociation of Canada (CLAC), and had long complained of in- adequate representation, includ- ing members required to repre- sent themselves at second-stage grievance hearings and being told by CLAC that nothing could be done when shifts were short- staffed, says the union. 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