Steelworkers ratify new contract at Ray of Hope custody facility

Deal includes wage increases, improvements to benefits

United Steelworkers (USW) members working at the Ray of Hope secure custody facility in Kitchener, Ont., recently ratified a new collective agreement.

The three-year deal includes improvements to benefits as well as annual wage increases.

Full-time employees will see an increase of 1.5 per cent in the contract’s first and second years and an increase of 1.75 per cent in its last year.

Part-time employees will see wage increases ranging from 1.5 per cent to 4.1 per cent in the first year followed by 1.5 per cent increases in subsequent years.

Also included in the agreement are several enhancements to contract language that improve the terms and conditions of employment for workers.

Fifty-eight employees working with young offenders aged 12 to 17 will be affected by the contract.

“I congratulate these Steelworkers and their employer for negotiating a good collective agreement that is fair to both parties,” said USW Ontario director Marty Warren.

“This agreement recognizes the value and the challenging nature of the work performed by these employees on a daily basis.”

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