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Labour Reporter
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June 30, 2014
Proposed pension
reform sparks protest
Municipal workers in Quebec
defy plan for defined plans
By Liz Foster
Protests eruPted province-wide after the Quebec government
made moves to reform municipal pension plans.
The recently tabled Bill 3 — officially titled An Act to Foster the Fi-
nancial Health and Sustainability of Municipal Defined Benefit Pension
Plans — proposes significant changes to the way defined benefit pen-
sion plans are administered at the municipal level, in an effort to make
up for massive deficits.
Quebec's current shortfall reportedly stands at nearly $4 billion.
The proposed reforms would see municipalities and employees split-
ting pension contributions 50-50 and could result in the interruption of
indexed pension increases. As many as 50,000 retired workers could be
affected, yielding as much as $1 billion in new money annually.
While the Quebec Federation of Municipalities is remaining neutral
on the proposal — federation president Richard Lehoux called the plan
a "measured approach that favours inter-generational equity" — labour
groups across the province have rejected the reforms.
EDUCATION
Carleton university
ottawa
(1,800 teaching assistants) and the Canadian Union of
Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4600 Unit 1
renewal agreement: Effective
Sept. 1, 2013, to Aug. 31, 2016.
Signed on March 20, 2014.
Wage adjustments:
Graduates
Effective 2014: 2%
Effective 2015: 1.5%
Undergraduates
Manitoba ups minimum wage
Premier Greg Selinger announced
the province's minimum wage will
be going up 25 cents, to $10.70
per hour, effective later
this fall.
ArbitrAtion
AwArds
see Collective agreements > pg. 3
Employer fails to be flexible for yoga course pg. 6
Canada Oilsands Construction - Alta. pg. 3 Nakwaye Ku Child Care
Society - Yukon pg. 3 Servisair- Alta. pg. 4 Serco Canada Goose -
N.L. pg. 4 Leisureworld Caregiving Centre - Ont. pg. 5 Saint John
Construction Association - N.B. pg. 5
Air Canada staffer calls
in sick — while on cruise
A Customer And sales agent
at Air Canada in Winnipeg lost
her fight against a suspension
pending discharge matter after re-
peated absences from work.
Referred to only as SA, the
grievor had worked for Air Can-
ada on and off since 1998, being
laid off and recalled several times.
She had also more recently gained
employment at another govern-
ment department, and wished to
keep both jobs.
In November of 2013, SA
ColleCtive
AgreeMents
ColleCtive
Agreements
ArbitrAtion
AwArds
Photo:
Christinne
Muschi
(Reuters)
Eighty firefighers in Montreal retired en masse after the Quebec gov-
ernment tabled its pension reforms. The proposed plan would see
contributions split 50-50 between municipalities and employees.
Negotiate with confidence.
Mock sessions. Best practices. Program leaders with real-world experience.
Choose Queen's IRC and thrive in your next negotiation session.
i r c . q u e e n s u . c a
see Arbitration > pg. 6
see Real > pg. 7
pg. 2
