The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has recently negotiated a new collective agreement with the Canadian Government, which will affect approximately 70,000 federal public service employees. The agreement, which is set to last for four years, includes several important changes that will impact the lives of workers in a variety of sectors.
One of the most significant changes in the new agreement is an increase in wages. Over the four-year duration of the agreement, employees will receive a total wage increase of 5.5%. This increase will be spread out over several years, with a 1.5% increase in the first year, followed by 1.5% in each subsequent year.
In addition to an increase in wages, the new agreement also includes changes to the way that employees are compensated for on-call work. Under the previous agreement, employees were only compensated for time spent actively working while on call. Under the new agreement, employees will now receive compensation for all time spent on call, regardless of whether they are actively working or not.
The new agreement also includes several changes that will impact employees’ work-life balance. One of the most notable changes is an increase in the amount of vacation time that employees are entitled to. Under the previous agreement, employees received two weeks of vacation time for their first four years of service, and three weeks after that. Under the new agreement, employees will now receive three weeks of vacation time for their first four years of service, and four weeks after that.
The new agreement also includes changes to the way that employees are able to take sick leave. Under the previous agreement, employees were entitled to 15 days of sick leave per year. Under the new agreement, employees will now be entitled to 18 days of sick leave per year.
Overall, the new collective agreement represents a significant win for CUPE and for federal public service employees across Canada. With increased wages, improved compensation for on-call work, and changes to vacation time and sick leave, employees will be better able to balance work and personal life, and will be more fairly compensated for their hard work.