WINNIPEG Support workers who maintain East St. Paul municipal services signed their first collective agreement yesterday. Members of CUPE Local 500 have been bargaining since August of last year.
Wages have increased from 2% to 22.75% annually, depending on the classification and position.
Over the life of the three-year agreement, employees will see a number of improvements in vacation entitlement, sick leave provisions, boot allowance, statutory holidays and bereavement leave.
Our members didnt get everything they wanted in this first agreement but theyll see important improvements in a number of areas, according to Allen Bleich, CUPE National Representative.
For example, the clerical staff were far behind other municipal workers in terms of wages, so it was good to see that this is starting to be addressed, he said.
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The Canadian Union of Public Employees is Canadas largest union representing more than a half-million women and men. In Manitoba, CUPE represents 24,000 members working in health care facilities, school divisions, municipal services, social services, childcare centres, public utilities, libraries and family emergency services. About 8,000 of these members work in municipalities across Manitoba.
For more information, contact:
Allen Bleich, CUPE National Representative 942-0343, ext. 210
Dennis Lewycky, CUPE Communications 942-0343, ext. 207/cell. 223-6805