Today, August 15, Mediator/Arbitrator William Kaplan awarded union members in the Health Care Bargaining Unit an increase in shift and weekend premiums.
Health Care Bargaining Unit members were awarded a fifty cent per hour increase to their current hourly premium rate. These premiums are added compensation earned when employees are assigned to work on evenings, overnights or weekends.
As a result of Liberal Bill 148, which legislated a wage pattern on civil servants and health care workers, shift and weekend premiums were one of the few monetary issues that could be negotiated during this round of bargaining.
The increase will be implemented as follows:
- 15 cents August 15, 2018
- 15 cents August 1, 2019
- 20 cents October 31, 2020
CUPE members’ shift and weekend premiums had been ten cents per hour behind the former CDHA and nursing rate, as CUPE had bargained first, and the other unions had received an adjustment on the last day of their expired agreement. Kaplan was not moved by arguments to harmonize the rates, nor was the employer willing to agree that all members in the same bargaining unit receive the same rate for shift and weekend premiums. As a result, all members of the bargaining unit will get the same flat rate adjustment on the same date, but CUPE members in the same bargaining unit will remain ten cents per hour behind other members in the same bargaining unit.
This supplemental award from Mr. Kaplan officially concludes the new collective agreement for the Health Care Bargaining Unit and its 6,000 members.
A copy of the shift and weekend premium award can be found on our website at www.8920.cupe.ca.
We will be hosting a town hall call on the evening of August 23. Please forward any questions via your Area VP, contact information is available on the website at www.8920.cupe.ca/about-us/your-executive.