For nearly a year and a half, MGEU EMS Superintendents (Local 431) have been working with their employer to establish their first contract.
Today that hard work takes shape in the form of a newly-ratified collective agreement for about a dozen EMS Superintendents working in Southern Health-Santé Sud.
“Many of our members in Local 431 moved into their roles as supervisors after working as paramedics in other MGEU Locals, says MGEU President, Michelle Gawronsky. “In the past, they’ve gone from having a well-established contract, and all of the rights and protections that brings, to very little. Now, these members have that first contract in place that gives them those same protections and hopefully makes that transition to their new role just a little easier.”
The new agreement is a four-year deal which includes wage increases as well as provisions for things such as vacation and bereavement leave.
Negotiations on the contract began with their employer back in December 2016. After eight months at the bargaining table, a conciliator was appointed to help reach an agreement. Negotiations resumed with the aid of the conciliator, which helped in reaching a tentative agreement on February 8, 2018.