February 26, 2009

Pay Equity negotiations yield $2.6 million retroactive payouts for OPSEU members at  Centre For Addiction and Mental Health

After being forced to appear before the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal, Local 500 achieved pay equity for its members.  Men and women who work in 12 female job classes will see a significant wage increase and will receive settlement dollars totaling 2.6 million retroactive settlement dollars.

In 1998, the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, the Clarke Institute, the Addiction and Research Foundation and the Donwood amalgamated to become the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, CAM-H, causing the Union and the Employer to revisit pay equity.

Settlement dollars will be paid to over 200 current and past members of Local 500 retroactive to the date of amalgamation in 1998.  The average payout is over $12,000 and two per cent interest per payout calculated on total dollars. Their increases in pay range up to $4 an hour.

Retroactive payouts are staged and will be paid out in three installments.

-   For the period March 9, 1998 to March 31, 2001 by November 15, 2009

-   For the period April1, 2001 to March 31, 2003 by August 15, 2009

-    For the period April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2009,  by May 29, 2009

Present rates of pay will be adjusted effective April 1, 2009 to their new pay equity rate of pay.

The CAM-H settlement was negotiated by Region 5 Executive Board Member, Nancy Pridham, Linda Wagner, Lead Steward Local 500, and assisted by Ann Wallace, OPSEU Negotiator.

The CAMH Board is scheduled to ratify this agreement on March 12.