Metro workers in Ontario ratify new collective agreement

Pattern deal signed by more than 500 employees: Unifor

Metro workers in Ontario ratify new collective agreement
The new collective agreement covers more than 500 workers at four Metro locations in Ontario. Google Street View

Enhanced wages and new full-time jobs mark milestone improvements in a new collective agreement for Metro stores across Ontario that was signed on Oct. 3.

Creating good full-time jobs, increasing wages and improving pension benefits was a priority for the bargaining committee, says Unifor.

The new four-year contract follows the pattern agreement Unifor established earlier this year for the grocery retail sector, which prioritizes the creation and protection of good full-time jobs. This new agreement at Metro (formerly Dominion Sav-A-Centre stores) also includes leave and return-to-work protections, the elimination of wage tiers for department managers, and a new paid personal day for senior part-time workers, says the union.

“Over the past four years, our union has laid the foundation for high-standard wage and working conditions in a sector that has become notorious for low-pay, precarious work,” says Christine Connor, Unifor national staff representative. “The tireless work of our bargaining committee continues to ensure substantial gains for our members.”

The new agreement also contains an improved student leave of absence, an expanded shoe allowance and a renewed commitment to Unifor’s Women’s Advocate program, to assist members and their families facing domestic violence, says Unifor.

The new collective agreement covers more than 500 workers at four Metro locations in Ontario. Members ratified the agreement by 90 per cent, says the union.

 

 

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