CEP and COMMUNITY LIVING DRYDEN-SIOUX LOOKOUT RATIFY NEW CONTRACT

Stephen Boon, CEP National Representative in Dryden, confirms the 90 CEP members and the Board at Community Living Dryden-Sioux Lookout have now unanimously ratified a contract extension of up to 29 months in Dryden and Sioux Lookout. Boon stated, "the relationship has been relatively good, so our members in Sioux Lookout and Dryden agreed to forgo full bargaining and instead simply replicate the previously negotiated wage increases from the last contracts about to expire. Boon concluded, “unlike many similar agencies, this agency has, up to this point, been able to maintain both good labour relations and a balanced budget. We see this deal as a further win-win scenario and our members hope that foregoing the traditional expenses of full bargaining will allow that money to be put right back into the agency to support the clients with developmental disabilities.”

Some of the key highlights of the deal are:

- new common expiry of September 1, 2014 for both Sioux Lookout and Dryden locations

- 1.75% general wage increase first year of deal

- 1.75% general wage increase in second year of deal

- .5% general wage increase after 21 months of deal

- .75% general wage increase for Sioux Lookout location only from 24-29 months for extending normal expiry to September 1, 2014

- a commitment to look at explore opportunities of a shared collective agreement in next negotiations to reduce redundancies and future bargaining costs

For more information, contact Stephen Boon, CEP National Representative-Dryden, at (807) 938-5434.