New contract for Chartwell Oxford Gardens Retirement Residence employees in Woodstock, Ont.

Agreement second one since joining union in 2016: CLAC

New contract for Chartwell Oxford Gardens Retirement Residence employees in Woodstock, Ont.
The new contract provides employees with a two per cent per year wage increase. GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Employees of Chartwell Oxford Gardens Retirement Residence in Woodstock, Ont., ratified a new three-year collective agreement on July 8 providing them with wage increases and other improvements.

The 79 employees are members of Southwestern Ontario Health Care and Service Workers Union, CLAC, Local 303. The local was certified to represent the employees in 2016.

The new contract provides employees with a two per cent per year wage increase. It also includes improvements to the vacation grid and access to shift giveaways for full-time employees, said the union.

“We know that healthcare can be a tough environment to negotiate in right now,” said Ashley Casey, who is a guest attendant at the home and member of the union bargaining committee. “We decided to focus on what we could realistically achieve.”

The collective agreement is only the second one negotiated with the employer since the employees joined CLAC Local 303, said the union.

“We feel good about the foundation we’ve laid with this contract,” said Susan Siemens, CLAC regional director. “We will continue to build on the gains we’ve made in the coming years as the bargaining relationship matures.”

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