CUPE 1978 and the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society in Victoria, British Columbia have ratified a new two-year collective agreement.

“Thanks to the hard work of our bargaining committee members, and the support of our membership, we were able to negotiate a new contract that both addresses our members’ key workplace concerns and better aligns workers’ wages with those of their counterparts in the region,” says CUPE 1978 President Tom Benjamin.

The two-year deal provides wage increases of 4 percent on January 1, 2024, 2 percent on July 1, 2024, 3.5 percent on January 1, 2025, and 1 percent on July 1, 2025.

Other key improvements include additional funding for safety certifications for both auxiliary and regular employees, increased vacation time for long service employees, and the inclusion of new domestic and sexual violence leave language in the collective agreement.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society to provide high quality public recreation services to West Shore residents,” adds Benjamin.

CUPE 1978 represents approximately 1,400 members, including 295 workers who work for the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society.