Canadian Labour Reporter

Interlake school employees ratify deal GIMLI, Man. — School cus- todians, trade workers and mechanics, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Em- ployees (CUPE), Local 2972, and the Interlake School Divi- sion in Gimli, Man. ratified a new collective agreement on June 9. "The agreement between CUPE 2972 and Interlake School Division is the second school support staff contract that defies the [Manitoba Premier Brian] Pallister wage freeze and includes raises in line with those agreed to by school divisions and the Man- itoba Teachers' Society," says Lee McLeod, CUPE regional director. Wage increases are in line with recently negotiated teachers' agreements and are retroactive: 1.6 per cent in 2019, 1.4 in 2020, 0.5 in 2021, and a cost-of-living adjust- ment (COLA) in 2022, says the union. The agreement helps set a pattern for school support staff in Manitoba, following CUPE 3164's similar wage set- tlement at Evergreen School Division announced on June 8, says CUPE. CUPE 2972 represents about 45 school support staff at the Interlake School Division, in- cluding custodians, trades and bus mechanics. USW, NorSask sign 5-year contract MEADOW LAKE, Sask. — The United Steelworkers (USW), Local 1-184 and Nor- Sask Forest Products signed a five-year collective bargaining agreement for members at the sawmill's operation, in Mead- ow Lake, Sask. The new agreement contains provisions for substantial wage increases, a signing bonus and substantial improvements in benefits, contracting-out lan- guage, grievance language and the membership becoming part of the Steelworker Humanity Fund as well as recognizing Na- tional Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) as a new statutory holi- day, says the union. However, the most impactful language negotiated between the two parties is the ground- breaking recognition and rec- onciliation language, accord- ing to USW: "NorSask Forest Products LP and the United Steelworkers union enter into this agreement recognizing and acknowledging that we op- erate on the traditional lands of the Cree and Assiniboine sig- natories of Treaty 6 dedicated to ensuring that the spirit of Subscribe to Canada's indispensable guide to human resources management since 1987 Treaty 6 is honoured and re- spected." The new five-year agree- ment was ratified on June 9 by an overwhelming majority of USW members at the opera- tion, says the union. NorSask Forest Products employs 85 USW members. Myra Falls miners go on strike C O M OX- S T R AT H C O N A , B.C. — More than 300 mem- bers of Unifor, Local 3019, be- gan strike action on June 3 at the Myra Falls mine in Comox- Strathcona, B.C. The miners are striking to force the company to honour its commitment from the 2017 round of bargaining, when temporary concessions were agreed to as part of a strategy to restart the mine and get it back on its feet, says Unifor. "Unifor is not going to stand by while a wildly profitable company goes back on its word," says Jerry Dias, Unifor national president. "We ne- gotiated the collective agree- ment in good faith and expect the company to uphold its promise to workers." The workers haven't re- ceived a wage increase since 2014 and are seeking to share in the wealth generated by a strong rebound in mineral prices, says the union. www.hrreporter.com/subscribe FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.hrreporter.com/labour Subscription rate: $599 per year Customer Service subscriptions@kmimedia.ca President Tim Duce Editor/Supervisor Sarah Dobson | (416) 644-8740 Ext. 330 sarah.dobson@keymedia.com News Editor John Dujay | (416) 644-8740 Ext. 321 john.dujay@keymedia.com Employment Law Editor Jeffrey R. Smith | (416) 644 8740 Ext. 319 jeffrey.r.smith@keymedia.com Business Development Manager Fred Crossley | (416) 644-8740 Ext. 236 fred.crossley@keymedia.com NAUK Subscriptions Coordinator Donnabel Reyes | (416) 644-8740 Ext. 243 donnabel.reyes@keymedia.com ©Key Media Canada (HR) Ltd. All rights reserved. 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