New Path workers in Barrie, Ont., approve deal

Gift card proposal rejected by union, workers

With 97 per cent voting in favour, the 86 therapists, counsellors, and child and youth workers at New Path Youth and Family Services in Barrie, Ont., ratified a tentative settlement reached with the employer on July 13.

The agreement came just minutes before workers would have been in a legal strike or lockout situation, according to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).

Workers had been without a contract since March 31. Workers had been seeking a modest wage hike to help keep up with inflation. However, the employer offered a $700 gift card and refused to budge during negotiations, said the union.

Scott Stratton, bargaining team chair, said a lump sum payment — whether as a gift card or cash — is not the same as a pay increase. "When you increase salaries by $700, we keep earning that $700 every year. If we had taken a one-time lump sum payment, we'd have lost $14,000 over the next 20 years."

The three-year offer hikes wages by 1.5 per cent in the first year, two per cent in the second year and 1.5 per cent in the third year, said OPSEU.

"Workers refused to cave in to stonewalling and intimidation tactics. When the employer saw that workers were determined to get a deal that respected their professionalism and dedication to their work, management came back to the table at the 11th hour, said Warren (Smokey) Thomas OPSEU president.

Latest stories