SCRD and union ratify four-year collective agreement

The board of the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and Unifor Local 466 negotiating committee announced that an agreement has been ratified between the SCRD and Unifor Local 466.
The four-year agreement is effective from Jan. 1, 2020, and was ratified by the union on March 5 and at the SCRD board meeting on March 11.
“I want to recognize the great, collaborative work that has gone into reaching this agreement by both staff at the SCRD and representatives for Unifor Local 466,” says Lori Pratt, SCRD board chair. “This agreement demonstrates the value that we place on our employees as we continue to work to provide exceptional service to residents within the SCRD.”
Some highlights from the agreement include:
• The formation of joint committees to promote more collaborative process on emerging workplace issues such as telecommuting, job sharing, and the utilization of casual employees.
• New provisions around scheduling to enable staff and management to mutually agree on flexible time management throughout the workweek.
• Increases for all wage bands as follows:
Jan. 1, 2020, 2 percent
Jan. 1, 2021, 2 percent
Jan. 1, 2022, 2.25 percent
Jan. 1, 2023, 2.5 percent
In addition to the above, a 0.15 percent one-time lump sum payment will be provided to unionized employees next year outside of general wages.
“I’d like to thank both bargaining teams for their commitment to a successful outcome,” says Bryce Viitanen, vice-president of Local 466 and the union’s chief spokesperson. “I’m very happy to have reached an agreement that recognizes the excellent work our members perform every day.”
Due to a considerable amount of change to the language contained in the agreement, both parties have agreed to consolidate old and new language to form an updated collective agreement. Once this has been completed, the new collective agreement will be sent to the BC Labour Relations board.
Submitted by SCRD /
Unifor466