Canadian Labour Reporter

B.C. budtenders ratify historic first contract VICTORIA – Budtenders at Clarity Cannabis in Victoria rati- fied their first collective agree- ment on March 17. The cannabis employees — represented by United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW), Local 1518 — negoti- ated their contract through the COVID-19 crisis and were the first private dispensary to earn pandemic pay for their essential work, says the union. The contract includes wage in- creases between eight and 16 per cent that includes a $17.25-per- hour minimum wage and a top rate at $19.75 per hour. Other highlights included a retroactive one-time lump sum payment, product discounts, recovered benefits plan, additional week of vacation and paid sick days, says UFCW. Mount Sinai clerical workers join CUPE TORONTO — Part-time cleri- cal workers at Mount Sinai Hos- pital in Toronto voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Em- ployees (CUPE) on March 15. The ballot count was delayed for more than three months by technical objections from the group's former bargaining agent, the National Organized Work- ers Union (NOWU), says CUPE. Eventually, the Ontario La- bour Relations Board (OLRB) ordered the ballots to be count- ed and announced a decisive win for workers wanting to be repre- sented by CUPE, says the union. The part-time unit joins full- time clerical workers at the hospital, who officially became CUPE members on Feb. 8. "The workers felt they'd been left on their own for years and decided it was time to get solid representation with a demo- cratic union that has superior collective agreements," says Deb Oldfield, a CUPE representative who was involved in the organiz- ing drive. As a result of the two votes, 357 full- and part-time cleri- cal workers have joined more than 100,000 Ontario health- care workers who are already in CUPE, says the union. Family Dynamics ratifies 4-year deal WINNIPEG — Employees of Family Dynamics — who are represented by the Manitoba Government and General Em- ployees' Union (MGEU), Local 214 — ratified a new four-year agreement on March 18. Highlights include wage in- creases in each year of the agree- ment, improvements to bereave- ment leave, and the addition of Indigenous traditional practices as a valid reason for requesting leave, says MGEU. Family Dynamics provides a range of services to Manitoba families in need of support. First contract for Dielco Electric LONDON, Ont. — A first col- lective agreement has been se- cured for the employees of Lon- don, Ont.-based Dielco Electric on March 18. The settlement was negotiat- ed by their union, the Construc- tion Workers Union, CLAC, Lo- cal 53. Terms of the three-year settle- ment take effect April 1. CLAC, Local 53 was certified as the union for the employees by the Ontario Labour Relations Board in December, says the union. The agreement establishes a spectrum of benefits for the em- ployees including annual wage increases, their first healthcare benefits, and their first pension benefits, says CLAC. Other aspects include vaca- tion pay increases, paid work time for health and safety train- ing courses, and an annual work- wear and safety footwear allow- ance, says the union. "The terms provide exactly what these members were look- ing for — good wages, healthcare benefits, and a pension they can trust," says Roger Grootenboer, CLAC representative. Event Partner MAY 11, 2021 | ONLINE HRD presents a one-day virtual summit that will provide senior HR and wellbeing professionals in Canada with valuable insights on how to support the wellbeing of their workforces – featuring case studies, panel discussions and workshops by HR leaders from top companies. 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If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. e analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either official or unofficial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter. com for more information. 2 LABOUR BRIEFS Canadian HR Reporter, a Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd. business 2021

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