Over the past few weeks, the bargaining units that had voted down the HCSS Central Table tentative agreement – Prairie Mountain HCSS, Interlake Eastern HCSS, and Dr. Gendreau – have been voting on an amended final offer.
Recently, the employers’ representatives informed these bargaining units that it would not consider the membership’s request to remove a two-year wage freeze from the offer.
A few improvements were offered in other areas in return and the employer presented these improvements to the bargaining reps, along with the original tentative agreement, as a final offer. Members gained in some areas – including the elimination of the five-day cap on Family-Related Leave and payment of double-time when requested to work on a scheduled vacation day – and the amended offer was taken out for another vote from the membership.
After the final voting session on Monday, March 23, the ballots were counted. All groups have voted to accept the new offer.
Now that the contract has been ratified, the MGEU HCSS bargaining representatives are requesting that the employer process retroactive pay as soon as possible to April 2014. Both sides will also be working to finalize the new agreement so that it can be signed, printed and sent to members.