Five-year deal includes wage raises, lump sum payments, bonus payments
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) members working at Bio Biscuit in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., have achieved a first collective agreement. The bargaining unit was certified after a successful April 2016 organizing drive.
The first contract is retroactive to Dec. 17, 2016.
The agreement includes monetary and working condition improvements for members working in general operations, as process operators, and as lift truck operators, said the union.
Bio Biscuit is a manufacturer of dry food and biscuits for dogs and cats.
Monetary clauses:
- new five-year wage scale that includes an annual increase of two per cent to six per cent, depending on the classification, upon the hiring anniversary
- wage increase for employees with more than five years of seniority: 1.25% on Dec. 18, 2016, 1.4% on Dec. 18, 2017, and 1.5% on Dec. 18, 2018
- lump sum payment for employees who are off the wage scale
- additional statutory holiday for employees with more than five years of seniority
- holiday season bonus of between $50 and $100, depending on seniority
- $25 increase in the allowance for the purchase of safety footwear
- additional vacation week for employees with more than 20 years of seniority
Non-monetary clauses:
- decrease in the probationary period from six months to 90 days
- the addition of a fair mechanism for the distribution of overtime
- the obligation for the employer to deduct employees’ contribution to the Fonds de solidarité of the FTQ (Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec) from wages
- new set of clear rules on staff movement and on the right to return to one’s former occupation
