FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2000

OPSEU members make gains in new Allendale agreement

HAMILTON – A new agreement with the Regional Municipality of Halton will give long-term care workers an eight percent wage increase over three years.

Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 261 employed by the Allendale long-term care home in Milton, voted 86 percent in favour of accepting the deal. "This settlement is a significant improvement over last contract in which the arbitrator gave us only one percent," said OPSEU staff representative Esther MacLean.

The 304 full- and part-time members are nurses, and housekeeping, laundry, dietary, maintenance, janitorial and hairdressing staff at the facility which provides short and long-term institutional care for Milton’s elderly residents.

The members will receive wage increases of 2 per cent, retroactive to June 1, 1999, 3 percent retroactive to March 1, 2000 and 3 percent on June 1, 2001. The contract expires May 31, 2002. The agreement also provides improvements in dental and vision care benefits.

"It’s comparable to the agreements the region worked out with its other bargaining units," said MacLean. "It took only three meetings to get this agreement and it sure beats going before an arbitration judge because that was a costly experience for both parties."

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For further information contact: 

Ester McLean 905-525-5527
Bill Trbovich 416-448-7400/793-0092