VANCOUVER—Community Social Services workers, members of CUPE Local 1936, have reached a tentative agreement with Collingwood Neighbourhood House (CNH).
The parties held five face-to-face bargaining sessions beginning on December 18. At the conclusion of the final session on March 26, the employer and union signed off on a five-year agreement that will include an 8.5-per-cent increase over the next four years, with an extra 3.3 per cent over the life of the agreement for casual workers (a 2.9-per-cent wage increase plus 0.4 per cent in lieu of Family Day), plus 1 per cent of last year’s wages in lieu of retro pay.
The retroactive collective agreement, which runs from April 2018 through March 2023, also includes a new pension plan. Beginning in 2023, members will contribute 2 per cent with the employer matching that contribution.
“We are pleased with the outcome of these bargaining sessions, which were constructive and respectful throughout,” said CUPE 1936 President Sheryl Burns.
“This collective agreement recognizes the critical importance of the work our members do in providing a wide range of community services at CNH—from child care to immigrant services and international community development. We were especially pleased to have a pension introduced into our collective agreement, so we are happy to recommend this agreement to our members.”
Other provisions in the tentative agreement include a 5-per-cent decrease to employee-paid dental premiums, a reduction in the length of time disciplinary notes stay on file, easier access to job postings for casual employees, and a reduction in the minimum availability for casual employees. For the first time, the CNH collective agreement will be rewritten using gender-neutral language.
CNH currently employs 133 CUPE 1936 members who work as childcare workers, program managers and assistants, recreation/youth workers, building services workers, and settlement workers as well as in various support staff positions.
Burns said she expects CUPE 1936 members at CNH to vote on the tentative agreement in mid-April.
