Dear Members,
On behalf of the Executive, our entire Bargaining Committee and our CUPE National Representative, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to every one of you who made the time to attend the ratification vote.
We had an impressive turnout with 103 members present, and I’m pleased to share that 85.4% voted in favour of the tentative agreement. Your presence and support—despite your busy personal schedules—did not go unnoticed. It was a strong display of unity and solidarity across all classifications, and as your President, I couldn’t be more proud.
Once the new Agreements have been prepared and signed, a copy will be uploaded on our website and shared with all members. In the meantime, we have already notified the Division of the ratification and clearly communicated our expectations that:
- Wage increases will take effect on the agreed dates in the contract.
- The additional adjustments will be effective today, March 22, 2025.
- Retroactive pay will be issued on a separate cheque, and we expect to receive it no later than 90 days from today (June 20, 2025), as agreed.
This is a significant milestone, and your support has been essential in getting us here.
For clarity on retro-pay, below is our agreement with the Division:
Retroactive payments apply to wages only based on actual hours worked by employees during the retroactive period, regardless of their current employment status, including employees who have retired, resigned, or otherwise left the Division. The period in which former employees may claim the retroactive payment is sixty (60) calendar days from the date of ratification. Payments shall be issued within 90 days after the ratification of this agreement and shall be provided on a separate cheque.
Also, kindly let all retired/former union members know that they are to send their information within sixty (60) calendar days from today to the Division for their payment.
Looking ahead, we are committed to starting the next round of bargaining early to ensure we continue building on the progress we’ve made.
Thank you again for showing up, standing together, and being a part of this important process.
In solidarity,
Tracey Stephen
President, CUPE Local 4701