Special to Ontario Construction News
Provincial construction labourers in the ICI sector who stayed on the job despite being in a legal strike position have ratified a new three-year collective agreement.
The agreement affecting about 10,000 Labourers’ International Union members includes a 10 per cent to 12 per cent wage increase based on geographic region over the contract period, with a majority of members and majority of locals voting to ratify, said LiUNA Ontario Provincial District Council general counsel Sean McFarling. Results of voting were released Monday.
Although the membership had overwhelmingly rejected a previous agreement, employers agreed to pay retroactive wage increases to May 2 if the they stayed on the job. Bargainers established dates to return to the table although the union negotiating committee said it was authorized to call a strike if the sides failed to reach a deal.
The LiUNA provincial ICI settlement comes on top of more than a dozen other Ontario construction industry contracts that expired at the end of April but which have been settled as of May 31, including an agreement May 27 saw 15,000 carpenters end a three week walk out. More than six trade unions in the residential sector across the province had been on strike earlier in May.
We got bent over on this deal. I cant believe other locals voted to take this.