It’s become a common sight: jubilant Starbucks Corp. workers celebrating after successful votes to unionize at dozens of U.S. stores. But when the celebrations die down, a daunting hurdle remains: to win the changes they seek — like better pay and more reliable schedules — unionized stores must sit down with Starbucks and negotiate a […]
The union representing 700 employees at Resolute Forest Products has ratified an agreement that includes benefits gains. Unifor members working in Resolute’s paper mills voted 90 per cent in favour of the four-year agreement. Vision and dental care will increase by $100 per year on Jan. 1, 2023 and dental will increase by another $100 on […]
The union representing employees at a Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing Ltd. plant in Guelph, Ont. has ratified an agreement that includes pension and benefits gains. Unifor Local 1917 Hitachi unit members voted 95 per cent in favour of the three-year collective agreement, which includes a $0.25 contribution increase to the defined benefit pension plan, from […]
Whether they’re delivering takeout, chauffeuring passengers, or fixing leaky sinks, most gig workers in Canada don’t get benefits. Classified as independent contractors rather than employees, they’re excluded from employer contributions to Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, they may not be protected under worker’s compensation and they can’t participate in tax-advantaged benefits programs like registered […]
Contract food services and custodial workers at Canada’s colleges and universities have less access to pensions and paid leave than their in-house colleagues, according to a new report by the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The report, which analyzed employment data from publicly funded post-secondary institutions, found only 23 per cent of contract food services employers […]
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is adding gender affirmation coverage to its benefits program and enhancing existing offerings such as paid parental leave and fertility treatments. The gender affirmation benefit will cover specific gender transition surgeries and procedures not covered by provincial programs to an annual maximum of $10,000 and a lifetime maximum of $25,000, according to […]
In its 2022 budget on Thursday, the Ontario government said it’s implementing a permanent target-benefit pension plan framework in 2023. The budget noted specified Ontario multi-employer pension plans, which provide these types of benefits, have been operating under temporary regulations that will expire in 2024 unless replaced by a permanent framework. “A permanent target-benefit framework […]
Ontario’s New Democratic Party’s election platform includes universal dental care, mental-health care and pharmacare. Following the agreement reached between the federal Liberals and NDP in late March, the provincial NDP will lead the way on the program, working with the federal government to “strengthen and accelerate the expansion of dental care,” according to the platform that […]
The federal government’s 2022 budget, which set out $56 billion in new spending on Thursday, has a few offerings that could impact employers and employees. Dental-care program, pharmacare The budget confirmed the government’s commitment to rolling out a national dental-care program, which was announced in March, by specifying a $5.3-billion investment in its implementation. It also […]
While 78 per cent of U.S. employees are reporting increased stress levels and feelings of burnout, only 40 per cent said their employer offers mental-health benefits or resources, compared to 53 per cent in 2021, 46 per cent in 2020 and 45 per cent in 2019, according to a new survey by Employ Inc. The […]