BTS agreement passed by narrowest margin
One of the ironies of the recent recession, and of its lingering consequences, is that it has resulted in both more long and more short collective agreements.
The latter are probably an attempt to put off serious negotiations until the future is clearer (and perhaps rosier). The former is often prompted by an offer from the company to invest in the facility — ensuring job security — with the promise of long-term labour stability.
That is the case with two agreements this week: Molson Coors in Montreal and Bell Technical Solutions (BTS) in Ontario.
The Molson agreement is for seven years and is predicated on an investment of nearly $50 million in the brewery. The bottling and cask racking lines will be modernized and capacity will increase.
For the union, there was a $30,000 retirement incentive and maintenance of the $100 per month per year DB plan.
Still, there was talk of an intergenerational clash in the bargaining unit, with the older workers, 400 of whom will be able to retire over the term of the agreement, voting in favour for the pension improvements and the younger workers voting against because of the wage freeze in four of seven years.
Ontario employees of BTS ratified their agreement by the slimmest of margins: 50.2 per cent to 49.8 per cent. It offers modest wage increases to top grades, but also job security.
