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EDMONTON – Newly unionized workers with the Salvation Army Addiction & Residential Centre’s in Edmonton have successfully completed a year of bargaining with a new contract. The workers, members of CUPE 474, represent 60 support staff at five sites.

Bargaining began between the Salvation Army management almost immediately after the workers voted to join the union.

I am very pleased, as are the newly unionized workers with the settlement we have gotten with the Salvation Army,” says CUPE 474 President Doug Luellman. “The Salvation Army bargained in good faith through out the process and did not use the first contract bargaining as an excuse to attempt to break the union.”

Workers will gain between 3% to 30% wage increases over the next three years. “I am pleased to say we got the largest increases for the lowest paid workers,” says Luellman. “Their previous pay range was from $7.00 per hour to $15.62. Now they will get from $9.03 to $16.43.”

Other contract gains are:

  • * 3% back pay for all hours worked between May and October 31, 2006. * Wage re-opener and sick leave re-opener should funding increase * Bonus vacation days for not missing work more than 4 days per year * No discrimination language * Union security * Probation of 3 months for newly hired staff and $100 bonus for succeeding * Removal of a previous 11 step grid system to for now 5 steps * Night shift premium of 50 cents * On call premium of 1 day off work * Seniority for casual workers * Education training language * 12 stat holidays a year * Sick and bereavement leave

This is great way to start the new year for these newly unionized workers,” says Luellman. “We are proud to represent these workers who deal with Albertans suffering addictions, which is the dark side of the Alberta Boom.”