First contract for health care members at Flemingdon – UFCW 175

Toronto – March 4, 2019 – UFCW Canada Local 175 members at Flemingdon Health Centre in Toronto have ratified their first collective agreement. The 90 members employed by Flemingdon provide community health care services at three locations in Toronto.

The parties reached the agreement after more than 45 days of bargaining over the last year and a half. This included conciliation to issue a No Board report, and to assist in the last days of negotiations.

The Union negotiating committee worked hard to achieve a contract that is consistent with other long-service, mature collective agreements in the Community Health sector. The first contract contains language to bring the employees closer to the Ministry of Health wage guidelines, with the understanding that as new funding becomes available, it will be applied to raise wages even further.

Just some of the other gains and language include:

• Additional language which defines the employment status of the workers clearly, which will limit the employer’s use of contract workers;
• Transition from a group RRSP to the Health Care of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP);
• Members on an unpaid leave will continue to have their benefits provided for by the employer up to six months, based on their years of service; and
• Paid leave coverage for jury duty, bereavement, merit days based on service, family health days, sick days, two float days, as well as employer-paid Long-Term Disability (LTD).

Get the full story on the first contract here and find out more about the tremendous work of UFCW 175 at www.ufcw175.ca.