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Collective Bargaining Highlights--February 2008

1. Agreements Settled in February

In February, 12 collective agreements were ratified, each covering 200 or more employees. These agreements covered a total of 8,452 employees, 53% of whom were in the private sector (4,452).

The overall average annual increase in base wage rates in February was 2.5%, down slightly from 2.6% reported in the previous month. In the public sector, four agreements were settled for an average annual wage increase of 3%, down from 3.2% in January. In the private sector, eight agreements were settled with an average annual wage increase of 1.9%, a decrease from 2.2% reported last month.

Major settlements in February included a four-year agreement between the City of Hamilton and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), providing 2,700 employees with an average annual wage increase of 3%. The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Grand River Transit) and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), representing 490 employees, settled a one-year agreement for a wage increase of 3%. The Regional Municipality of York reached a three-year agreement, covering 580 Long Term Care employees, represented by CUPE, for an average annual wage increase of 3%. Canadian Pacific Railway and the CAW reached a three-year agreement. The settlement provided 462 Ontario-based shopcraft employees with an average annual wage increase of 3%.