Tenacity pays off with new contract for Local 454

March 31, 2011

Members of Local 454, Personal Choice Independent Living (PCIL), have voted 100 per cent in favour of a new two-year collective agreement in a ratification vote held March 30.

Members were tenacious in their bargaining efforts, and it paid off with a new contract that includes a 2.5 per cent signing bonus in the first year, and a 1.5 per cent wage increase in the second year.

OPSEU President, Warren (Smokey) Thomas congratulated the members for standing tough against an employer who had threatened to shut down the entire agency if the members didn’t accept a wage freeze. “You supported your bargaining team through negotiations and made it clear to the employer that you would not settle for a substandard contract,” Thomas said.

Mike Dowling, member of the Local 454 bargaining team, said that the local will use this agreement as a foundation for the future. “We want to continue to build solidarity within our unit and prepare for our next round of negotiations.”