New obligations triggered by any declaration of epidemic or pandemic by public health officials
Food service workers at Toronto’s Runnymede Healthcare Centre will receive two years of wage increases, enhanced health benefits and a richer retirement savings match under an interest arbitration award renewing their collective agreement.
In a decision dated April 24, 2026, arbitrator Jesse Kugler rewrote the infectious diseases clause in the collective agreement, guaranteeing salary continuation and seniority accumulation for employees absent due to a communicable disease who are required to quarantine or isolate because of employer policy, operation of law, or direction of public health officials.
The ruling, issued under Ontario's Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act, also increased the employer's RRSP matching percentage, boosted health benefits, and awarded a 3 percent wage increase in each of the two contract years.
The case involved about 42 cooks, porters, dietary aides, and retail associates represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 1 Canada, and employed by Compass Group at the 206-bed rehabilitation and complex continuing care hospital.
Pandemic clause for next outbreak
With the previous infectious diseases language, the board inserted new obligations triggered by any declaration of an epidemic or pandemic by public health officials, beginning with a duty to meet with the joint health and safety committee to consult on protections for health care workers.
Employees absent due to illness continue to receive sick pay under the existing sick leave article. The new clause goes further for those required to quarantine or isolate due to a communicable disease where the requirement flows from the employer's policy, operation of law, or direction of public health officials.
Those workers are entitled to salary continuation and seniority accumulation for the duration of the quarantine. As the award states, "a part-time employee required to quarantine would receive salary continuation, including percentage in lieu, for all regularly scheduled shifts that they are absent for due to the quarantine requirement."
Bigger paycheques, bigger benefits
The board awarded general wage increases of 3 percent effective Oct. 11, 2024, and another 3 percent effective Oct. 11, 2025. Retail associates received a special adjustment of $1.78, lifting their rate to $23 per hour, and the weekend premium climbed from $2.70 to $3.14.
Health and welfare benefits were broadened as of the award date. Vision care rose from $375 to $450 every 24 months, chiropractor and registered massage therapist coverage each moved from $375 to $450 annually, a new $100 Health Care Spending Account was added, and a new $2,000 annual orthodontics benefit was introduced.
The employer's RRSP matching obligation was also increased from 50 percent to 100 percent of employee contributions, capped at 4 percent of the employee's regular hours worked. The union had sought something more ambitious - reinstatement of a pension plan to replace the voluntary RRSP, pointing to the Central Hospital agreement as the appropriate comparator and HOOPP as the sector standard - but that proposal was not awarded.
Partial dissents in arbitration
The term of the renewal collective agreement was set at two years, from Oct. 11, 2024 to Oct. 10, 2026, in accordance with section 10(11) of the Act. A dispute over Letter of Understanding #4, dealing with the Retail Associate classification, was referred back to the parties to work cooperatively toward a sensible solution, with the board remaining seized and several grievances relating to its implementation still outstanding.
Both union and employer nominees filed partial dissents, with the union nominee saying he would have granted the union’s proposal to reinstate a pension plan to replace the current voluntary RRSP, given sector comparators and the maturity of the bargaining relationship, according to the dissent.
