FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2005
Ontario provincial employees reach tentative contract deal
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union today reached a tentative agreement with the province that paves the way for rebuilding Ontario’s damaged public services.
OPSEU President Leah Casselman said the four-year agreement contains major breakthroughs for 42,000 government employees, particularly for the thousands of casual “unclassified” workers who run the province’s overloaded court system.
“This agreement is a significant step in resolving some longstanding inequities in the public service,” Casselman said. “Our bargaining teams must be commended for their determination to undo the damage caused by 10 years of cuts to services and jobs.”
Details of the tentative agreement include:
· Wage increases totaling 9.75 per cent over four years. Most of the province’s 4,500 Correctional Officers will also receive an added step of three per cent to the pay grid;
· Agreement on an enforceable pay equity plan that will help solve job classification issues;
· A drug card for all employees who receive benefits under the agreement;
· Job security language that guarantees job training and government-wide bumping rights for surplus employees;
· Extension of Factor 80 early retirement provisions for surplus employees;
· More than 1,400 casual “unclassified” workers will be rolled into permanent jobs in the public service, with access to benefits;
· An agreement to reduce the use of unclassified employees over the term of the contract.
OPSEU members are to vote on the deal June 21-23. They voted down the government’s previous offer two weeks ago, and empowered their bargaining teams to call a strike, if necessary. No strike deadline was set.
“This agreement could not have been won without our strike mandate,” said Marg Simmons, chair of the unified bargaining team. “The government moved significantly on our issues over the past two weeks.”
Barry Scanlon, chair of the OPSEU corrections team, said the deal shows that the government respects the significant role played by correctional workers in ensuring public safety.
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