Wages central issue in both negotiations
Two maritime government contracts figure in this week’s issue. One is between the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia and the NSGEU, and the other is between the Government of Prince Edward Island and its civil service, represented by the P.E.I. Union of Public Sector Employees.
In both cases, wages reflect government restraint. The Nova Scotia employees ratified a two-year agreement with one per cent in each year, while their P.E.I. counterparts did somewhat better at two per cent per year in a three-year agreement.
The P.E.I. agreement includes $300,000 annually toward the Development and Training Fund. The Fund provides up to $2,500 per employee per year and covers tuition but not books for employees taking training. It may be used either for skills the employee currently needs or ones that will allow him or her to achieve “career aspirations.”
Wages and casual employees were issues in the negotiations; the final contract was settled by binding arbitration.
The agreement between the Steelworkers and ArcelorMittal Mines shows there is still steam in the resource sector. It provides some of the healthiest wage increases seen recently, estimated by the union at 45 per cent of the unionized payroll over six years.
This includes wage increases averaging 4.1 per cent per year, COLA and increases to the increment of roughly 16¢.
There are also substantial increases of $7.00 per month per year to pension benefits by the end of the agreement.
A retention bonus has been added in this agreement. It provides $16,000 for employees with 35 years of service at Mont-Wright, site of the iron mine, and $12,000 with 35 years at Port-Cartier, where the pelletization plant is located.
Finally, the productivity bonus from the old contract was replaced, but the iron price bonus remains.
