MGEU Local 249, HSC Security members accepted a new contract tonight, and in the process, avoided strike action.
A strike was scheduled to begin Tuesday, December 15, but was postponed
until December 22 when the two sides reached a tentative agreement late
last week.
Recommending acceptance of the new offer, the Local 249 Bargaining
Committee held meetings over the past two evenings to give members a
chance to ask questions and cast their ballots.
Tonight’s outcome means the Local has a new five-year agreement
(effective April 1, 2012 - March 31, 2017) with general wage increases, a
wage adjustment, and a commitment from the employer to review the
training needs of HSC Security Officers.
“This has proven to be one of the longest rounds of bargaining in recent
memory for our union, and this contract starts to move things in the
right direction,” said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky. “But we need
to be very clear that while members accepted
the offer, a lot of work still needs to be done to address the safety
concerns and recruitment and retention issues these members work under.
We will be working closely with the WRHA and HSC Management in the very
near future to make sure this happens.”
The bargaining committee will be meeting with the employer in the coming
days to finalize the agreement and discuss how soon retroactive pay can
be processed for members.