Sara Tatelman
Workers at Vast-Auto Distribution in Brampton, Ont. have ratified a new collective agreement after a week on the picket line.
The workers, represented by Unifor, were striking over wages that were significantly lower than those of their colleagues in Quebec doing the same work, as well as having to split the cost of benefits with their employer.
Read: Brampton auto workers’ strike over wages, benefits
Starting wages will immediately rise to $14 from $12.70 an hour, and by 2020, they will start at $15 an hour. The top rate will be $17.16.
On the other hand, management and employees will still split the costs for the benefits plan equally.
“We felt, based on the wages, the company should incur the total cost on benefits,” says Unifor national representative Paulo Ribeiro. “But it wasn’t possible because we had to make some major gains in wages. So that will be a target again three years from now. But as of now we have agreed to business as usual in terms of benefits.”
The new collective agreement expires on Jan. 23, 2020.