TORONTO, ON – Representatives of workers at SPRINT Senior Care made a historic gain last weekend, reaching a tentative agreement that includes for the first time a workplace pension plan for the agency’s homecare workers, drivers, community social workers and other frontline workers.
The unionized employees at SPRINT Senior Care deliver services to seniors such as personal care, Meals on Wheels, community social work adult day programs and are represented by Local 4308 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Until now, CUPE members at SPRINT Senior Care had no retirement provision and many long-serving employees faced life in poverty in their senior years. Under this agreement, members will join the Multi-Sector Pension Plan (MSPP) in 2016.
“This is a great achievement by the workers at SPRINT Senior Care,” said Kelly O’Sullivan, President of CUPE Local 4308. “They campaigned relentlessly for a contract that respects their work and ensures their right to retire with a degree of security. This contract does both and none of it would have been possible but for the solidarity and commitment shown by the members of CUPE 4308.
Both parties reached the tentative deal one week before a strike or lockout deadline of December 8; the agreement was reached with the help of a mediator from the Ministry of Labour.
Members of the local will vote later this week on whether to accept the agreement, which has been recommended for ratification by the union.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly O’Sullivan
President, CUPE Local 4308
416-529-9600
Mary Unan
CUPE Communications
905-739-3999 ext. 240 or 647-390-9839