Members of CUPE 1978, representing municipal workers at the Capital Regional District, in Victoria, B.C., ratified a new collective agreement today.
“Our members have been working hard for months to reach a fair deal, and that hard work has resulted in key improvements for Capital Regional District workers,” said CUPE 1978 President Rick Illi.
The four-year agreement includes annual wage increases and a provision for the parties to address regularization of auxiliary staff, a key point of the negotiations given the Capital Regional District’s approximately 375 auxiliary staff.
“In addition to limited job security, auxiliary workers are denied many of the benefits provided to regular staff, which we think is unacceptable. This agreement provides an opportunity for us to seek a resolution to their precarity through the creation of new regular permanent and part-time positions,” said Illi.
The tentative agreement was reached on August 14, following two days of mediated talks.
CUPE 1978 represents approximately 1,200 members in the Greater Victoria region, including more than 750 members who work for the CRD and provide important community services for residents and businesses.