Strike ends at Croven Crystals; Casinos workers sign Ontario agreement
Improved Phoenix settlement reached
OTTAWA — The union representing 140,000 federal public service workers, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), reached an equitable settlement on July 9 for compensation due damages from the Phoenix pay system.
PSAC rejected the government’s settlement offer last year because five days of cashable leave was too little to compensate for the damage caused by the faulty pay system and it was not an equitable solution for everyone as it rewarded the highest earners and punished those with lower wages when cashed out, says the union.
The agreement replaces five days of leave with a $2,500 lump-sum payment to be distributed to all of eligible employees who have been directly or indirectly impacted by the Phoenix pay system, according to PSAC.
Strike ends at Croven Crystals
Whitby, Ont. — Unifor, Local 1090 employees at Croven Crystals in Whitby, Ont. ratified a new three-year collective agreement on July 8, ending the strike that began on began June 18.
“The bargaining committee worked hard to resolve the issues,” says Corey Dalton, Unifor Local 1090 president. “We pushed back against a substandard wage offer and bargained a fair deal.”
The 50 employees at the facility perform skilled work to manufacture crystal components for multiple industries including telecommunications. The workforce is predominantly women with top earners making $22 an hour, says the union.
Waterloo , Ont. university students begin organizing
Waterloo, Ont. — Teaching assistants, research assistants and contract instructors at the University of Waterloo launched the public phase of their campaign on July 8 to become members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
“We’re one of the only universities in Canada where TAs, RAs and instructors are not union members, and the result has been a lot of unpaid work, unchallenged harassment, inconsistent application of rules and limited say over working conditions,” says Lynne Sargent, a graduate student worker and member of the organizing committee.
Low wages, concerns over health and safety protocols, unclear and inconsistent hiring processes, heavy workload and a lack of support for mental-health services as reasons for initiating the drive, says CUPE.
CUPE, Local 793 represents more than 500 support workers at the University of Waterloo, who are supporting the campaign, says the union.
Casinos workers sign Ontario agreement
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – The United Steelworkers (USW) and Gateway Casinos announced a return-to-operations agreement on July 10 after several weeks of negotiations with USW representatives in Ontario.
“Our workers at Gateway Casinos in Sault St. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury are pleased with the agreement that respects workers and brings our members back to work in a fair and respectful way,” says Albert Williams, unit chair of USW, Local 8748-18 in Sault Ste. Marie.
The details of the agreement will apply to more than 300 USW members at Gateway Casinos properties in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury.
The agreement will provide an extension of benefits while also improving job security for USW members. As part of the agreement, USW members will also have an option to elect a retroactive paid leave partially funded by the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), says the union.
