The union representing more than 460 employees at Nestlé in Toronto has ratified a three-year collective agreement that includes pension and benefits gains, ending a strike that began on May 5.
The agreement includes a $1 increase each year in the defined benefit pension plan for non-skilled trades and $2 each year for skilled trades. Employees will see a 3.25 per cent wage increase in the first year, three per cent in the second year and 2.25 per cent in the last year.
Dental improvements include an increase from one to six scaling units covered at 100 per cent. Vision coverage will increase from $425 every two years for plan members and $350 for dependents, to $500 for everyone, and eye exams are now included in the coverage. The heath-care spending account for employees who aren’t in a full-time position increases from $1,100 to $1,200. In addition, workers aged 65 and older will now be able to access health benefits.
Read: Nestlé plant workers ending strike after winning benefits, pension increases
In other news, the union representing northern Ontario hospital workers with the Ontario Hospital Association has also ratified a two-year collective agreement that includes benefits gains.
The agreement includes improvements to paramedical coverage with massage increasing from $375 to $450 and physiotherapy and chiropractic increasing from $350 to $425. Orthodontic coverage will increase from a $1,000 to $2,000 lifetime maximum with 50/50 co-insurance. In addition, the agreement introduces a health-care spending account for active employees at $100 annually. Hospital workers will also see a six per cent wage increase, comprising a three per cent raise each year.
Additionally, the union representing employees for the town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands has ratified a four-year collective agreement that includes benefits gains.
The agreement includes vision improvements with an increase from $400 to $500 every two years for eyeglasses, as well as $350 every two years for prescription safety glasses. Dental restorative care will increase from $2,000 to $2,500 and orthodontics will increase from $1,500 to $2,000. Workers will also see a 28 per cent wage increase over the term for the lowest paid classification, with a $4 hourly raise in the first year and four per cent annual increases each year after.
Read: GreenShield, Unifor agreement includes pension, benefits gains