OPSEU hospital professionals ratify new agreement

TORONTO, June 30, 2016 /CNW/ - Members of the Hospital Professionals Division of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union have ratified the tentative agreement reached by their bargaining team on May 29, 2016.

In voting over the past month, members working at 53 Ontario hospitals voted 92 per cent in favour of the deal.  The agreement was ratified by 97 per cent of the participating local bargaining units.  The new contract includes wage increases and/or lump sums for the first year that will match those awarded to the Ontario Nurses' Association, along with 1.4 per cent wage increases in the second and third years of the agreement.

"This agreement provides members wage increases and gains in many areas that have seen no improvement in the last 10 years of arbitrated awards," said Sandi Blancher, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team. "Our members deserve the long awaited improvements to vacation entitlement, shift and weekend premiums."

"The strong vote of acceptance for this deal is a testament to the hard work of the whole bargaining team and the approval of the members across the province who supported our team throughout this process," said Blancher.

The three-year collective agreement also includes improvements to benefits, bereavement leave and the grievance procedure.

"We are pleased that our hospital professionals have a new collective agreement that acknowledges   the tremendous value they bring to our health care system," said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.  "I would like to thank the bargaining team for its hard work and dedication in securing these improvements which will benefit our members in a meaningful way."  

The new agreement covers 12,000 hospital professionals in more than 250 occupations including lab technologists, radiation technologists, respiratory therapists, lab assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and pharmacy technicians.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Sandi Blancher, 519-857-3674