Share
HALIFAX, Oct. 30, 2014 /CNW/ - Members at Bell Aliant workplaces across the Atlantic Provinces have voted to ratify a new collective agreement with 74 per cent of members voting in favour. This agreement with Bell Aliant will take effect on January 1, 2015 and will cover the employees once they become employees of Bell Canada Enterprises, Inc. (BCE).
"We have solid and established relationships with the management at Bell Aliant and both sides were eager to provide stability for unionized employees during the upcoming transition," said Rick Rose, National Representative at Unifor.
"We're proud that we were able to negotiate a few items that our workplaces have never had before, like paid education leave, which will be a useful benefit for our members across the region," said Bobby MacDonald, Chairperson of the Unifor Atlantic Communications Locals.
Details of the agreement include:
- Wage increases of two per cent in each of the three years of the agreement;
- An immediate $1,000 signing bonus;
- An increase to Northern and hardship allowances;
- Improved boot and safety shoe entitlements;
- Changes to vacation scheduling and allotment language to provide greater access to vacation in prime times;
- A limited retirement offer available to up to 450 members that will provide generous incentives in each year of the agreement with a negotiated replacement rate of 60 per cent of those who retire;
- Continuation of members' defined benefit pension plan.
In addition, Women's Advocates will be trained in each of the four provincial locals who will respond to issues of harassment, discrimination or violence against women.
The new agreement covers 1,100 Unifor members at Local 2289 in Nova Scotia, 700 members at Local 410 in Newfoundland and Labrador, 800 members at Local 506 in New Brunswick and nearly 200 members at Local 401 in Prince Edward Island.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing more than 305,000 workers, including over 28,000 in the Atlantic Provinces. It was formed Labour Day weekend 2013 when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions merged. Unifor works to protect its members and play a leadership role in building thriving, safe workplaces and a strong economy so all workers in Canada have a good job, a decent standard of living and greater equality.
SOURCE Unifor
