Niagara Falls/St. Catharines, Ont. (231 child protection workers) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 2328
Renewal agreement: Effective April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2023. Ratified February 2019. Signed on Jan. 25, 2019.
Wage adjustments:
Effective April 1, 2019: 0% (1-time payment in February 2019 equivalent to 2% increase)
Effective April 1, 2020: 1.75%
Effective April 1, 2021: 1.5%
Effective April 1, 2022: 1.75%
Paid holidays: 11 days, plus 1 floater day (in lieu of Remembrance Day). Employees will also receive either last working day before Christmas or last working day before New Year’s off (at choice of individual employee).
Vacations with pay: 4 weeks after 1 year, 5 weeks after 9 years, 6 weeks after 18 years, 7 weeks after 25 years.
Overtime: Straight-time pay for hours worked between 33.75 and 40 hours per week; time and one-half for hours worked beyond 40 in 1 week and all hours worked on statutory holiday. May be taken as compensatory time off but must be taken with 90-day period of being earned.
Meal allowance: $10 if required to work 2 hours beyond scheduled normal workday; $20 if 2 hours or more of overtime outside Niagara region.
Medical benefits: Employer pays 100% of premiums for health tax and supplementary health insurance plan. Employer will provide $1,000 per year for health spending account.
Dental: Employer pays 100% of premiums. 50% coverage of orthodontic services, maximum $750 per year; lifetime maximum of $1,500 for dependent children 6 to 18 years old.
Vision: Part of supplementary health insurance plan. Coverage of $300 per 24-month period.
Paramedical: Part of supplementary health insurance plan.
Sick leave: 100% of income for 1 week to start; 100% of income for 2 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 15 weeks after 3 months of service; 100% of income for 4 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 13 weeks after 1 year of service; 100% of income for 6 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 11 weeks after 3 years of service; 100% of income for 8 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 9 weeks after 5 years of service; 100% of income for 10 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 7 weeks after 7 years of service; 100% of income for 12 weeks, 66 2/3% of income for 5 weeks after 9 years of service; 100% of income for 17 weeks after 10 years of service.
STD: Employer pays 100% of premiums for coverage up to 17 weeks.
LTD: Employer pays 100% of premiums.
AD&D: Employer pays 100% of premiums. Coverage of $50,000.
Life insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums for group life insurance and dependent life insurance plans. Coverage of $50,000.
Pension: Employer, employees contribute to Ontario Municipal Employee Retirement System.
Bereavement leave: 5 days for death of spouse, partner, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild. 3 days for death of sibling, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law, ward, blood relative residing in employee’s household. 1 day for death of spouse of child, spouse’s stepparent, foster-child, spouse’s grandparent, stepgrandparent, stepgrandchild of employee or employee’s spouse, aunt, uncle, nice, nephew, relative who is dependent on employee for care or assistance. Up to 5 unpaid working days may be given where funeral occurs outside province. Short periods of time off during normal working hours may be granted to attend funeral.
Seniority – recall rights: 24 months for layoffs; 6 months for employees transferred to position outside bargaining unit (may be extended, maximum 12 months).
Call-in pay: Greater of 4 hours at regular rate of pay or applicable overtime rate for hours worked for being called back to work after leaving.
Probationary period: 6 months worked; 9 months worked for unauthorized child protection workers. May be extended upon mutual agreement of employer, employee and union.
Discipline: Sunset clause is 12 months.
Severance: 4 weeks of pay after 6 months of service; 1 week of pay per year of service, maximum 8 weeks of pay, after 4 years of service. 1 week of pay for probationary employees.
Mileage: $0.50 per kilometre for employees who use vehicle for employer business, increasing to $0.51 on April 1, 2021. Each employee who uses car for employer business will carry car insurance policy, minimum $1,000,000 public liability and property damage. $20 per month for employees in child welfare (investigation and assessment, ongoing service, child in care, foster care resources, kinship, family finder, adoption worker), family enrichment worker, new outlooks and beginnings worker; adult protective services classifications using personal cars for employer business who disclose work-related usage to personal insurance carrier. Parking charges while on employer business will be reimbursed by employer. Reimbursement of up to $50 for medical certificate for employees required to have class F licence.
Sample rates of hourly pay (current minimum/maximum, after 3.25% increase):
CPW: $37.74/$45.91 rising 2 steps to $38.98/$47.42
FCC therapist: $36.29/$44.16 rising 2 steps to $37.47/$45.60
APSW: $32.07/$39.02 rising 2 steps to $33.12/$40.30
NOB worker/family enrichment worker/daycare ECE/network administrator/CQI senior clerk/FCC telephone intake secretary/OEYC lead ECE/resource consultant, CQI analyst/law clerk/senior finance clerk 2: $27.86/$33.90 rising 2 steps to $28.77/$35.01
CQI representative/business administrator/customer service representative, computer technician/legal administrator/courier maintenance 2/senior finance clerk 1/OEYC ECE/OEYC bilingual ECE/OEYC ECE relief: $25.76/$31.33 rising 2 steps to $26.61/$32.36
OEYC receptionist/secretary: $23.65/$28.76 rising 2 steps to $24.42/$29.72
Courier maintenance 1/CQI imaging clerk/daycare program assistant: $22.41/$26.21 rising 2 steps to $22.25/$27.07
Legal filing clerk: $19.47/$23.69 rising 2 steps to $20.11/$24.47
Editor’s notes: Pre-paid leave plan: Employees can spread 4 years’ salary over 5-year period to enable them to take 1-year leave of absence during that period. Cellphones: Available to staff who are required to work in field. Hearing aid coverage: Maximum $800 every 48 months. Legal protection: Employer will pay premiums for insurance coverage that pays 100% of legal costs (counsel fees, necessary disbursements) in defence of charge laid under Criminal Code of Canada, any provincial statute (not including Highway Traffic Act) or is named in civil proceeding arising out of performance of duties. Maximum legal costs which will be paid will not exceed $100,000 per individual claim and overall policy maximum in any 1 year for all claims will fall within employer’s aggregate coverage.
