A snapshot of collective agreements being negotiated across the country. This week, we take a look at the construction and education industries.
Construction
Twenty-five collective agreements were covered by CLR in the construction industry between September 2013 and September 2014. The average wage increase sits at 5.63 per cent over 20 agreements signed in the past year. The highest pay rise was 12.5 per cent, negotiated at the Saint John Construction Association for 120 masonry workers. In five of those agreements, wage adjustments took the form of monetary compensation (as opposed to a percentage), and ranged from an additional 10¢ per hour to $1.20 per hour.
The average life span of an agreement was 3.75 years. Thus, the average yearly wage hike for the industry was 1.5 per cent.
While the number and types of occupations in the construction industry range widely, we’ve come up with an overview of the average hourly base wages for some of the most common jobs on a construction site.
Journeyman: $30.83 per hour
Carpenter: $35.76
Electrician: $41.23
Mechanic: $38.99
Most collective agreements in the construction sector include an accommodation allowance clause. This provision provides a monthly or bi-weekly allowance for workers who are required to work for extended periods of time at a remote location, such as Fort McMurray, Alta., that is a considerable distance from the employee’s place of residence.
Education
Sixteen agreements in the public sector elementary and secondary school districts across the country were covered by CLR between September 2013 and September 2014.
Of those 20 agreements 16 came with wage hikes. Others did not include wage adjustments but instead included signing bonuses, which ranged from $500 - $1,400
Of those 16 agreements, the average wage increase was 3.39 per cent. The highest wage increase was negotiated at the Chignecto Central School Board in Pictou, N.S., with an increase of 7.5%
The average life span for an agreement was 4.3 years. Given that, the average yearly increase for a teacher would be 0.8%
A teacher's salary is determined through a number of factors, including years of experience and years of education they themselves have achieved. From September 2013 to September 2014, the average starting salary for a teacher in Canada was $63,548
