Canadian Labour Reporter

Developmental services workers give thumbs-up to fi rst contract NEWMARKET, ON — Some 200 developmental services workers with Community Liv- ing Newmarket/Aurora District in Ontario voted 87 per cent in favour of their first contract. The result means that two- and-a-half years after joining the Ontario Public Service Em- ployees Union (OPSEU) and 19 months after negotiations be- gan, the workers finally have a collective agreement in place. It includes: • a $1-per-hour wage increase for all job classifications • an additional 65-cent-an-hour increase for the lowest-paid job classifications • clearly defined job classifica- tions and pay rates • one extra vacation day per year, as well as the August civic holi- day off with pay • job security, seniority and lay- off and recall language • a comprehensive grievance procedure • a mileage increase of three cents per kilometre • employer-paid cleaning of member vehicles when used for work. OPSEU Local 386 president Kel- ly Holmes said her members were happy with the contract and relieved that it was ratified by such a large margin. "This is a time for rejoicing. After the campaign to organize the workers and then the long months of bargaining, we're tired but delighted by the result." "Right to the end, our mem- bers' solidarity never faltered," she said. "They gave the union a 94 per cent strike mandate — a powerful bargaining tool that brought real results — and now they've massively approved the contract." MPAC, OPSEU reach tentative agreement PICKERING, ON — The Mu- nicipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and On- tario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), representing 1,300 of the corporation's em- ployees, have reached a tentative agreement. The agreement is expected to be taken to OPSEU members for a ratification vote over the coming weeks. The union was in a legal strike position as of 12:01 am on June 17, with issues around benefits and wages still outstanding. MPAC was hopeful a negotiated collec- tive agreement would be reached, with the assistance of a provin- cially appointed conciliation offi- cer, before the strike deadline. "Despite a very difficult con- text, our members gave their bargaining team a strong strike vote and turned out in droves for the information pickets we held across the province. They sent their employer a loud, clear mes- sage that they were not willing to settle for anything less than what they deserved," said OP- SEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas. While an agreement was reached, "there is still work to do" to improve the relationship between MPAC and its front- line employees, he said. "There is no MPAC without the work of our members," he said. "We'll keep doing every- thing we can to make manage- ment understand that." LABOUR BRIEFS 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2016 FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by omson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $595 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 Email: carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Carswell Media Karen Lorimer Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Todd Humber Editor/Supervisor Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com Contributing Editors Mallory Hendry Jeff rey R. Smith Marketing Co-ordinator Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585 keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com © 2016 Carswell, a division of omson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. e publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. 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 offi cial or unoffi cial 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. Labour Reporter Canadian www.labourreporter.com Photo: Henry Romero (Reuters) LABOUR LENS The National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) union marched against Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform in Mexico City on June 17. REUTERS/Henry Romero

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