Employees at SaskTel, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskWater, and the Water Security Agency (WSA) have ratified new collective bargaining agreements. The employees join those employees at SecurTek and DirectWest that previously ratified agreements with their employer.
“We are very pleased that Unifor represented employees have voted to ratify their respective agreements,” said Saskatchewan’s Finance Minister Donna Harpauer. “We believe the agreements are fair and equitable and provide for long-term stability for both employees and Crown corporations and agencies. Thank you to both management and union bargaining teams for their hard work and dedication throughout the process.”
Management and Unifor bargaining teams reached tentative agreements October 20th following a 17-day labour dispute. Ratification votes were held across the province starting on October 2th8 with the final ratification meeting held November 14th, 2019.
The ratified six-year agreements at SaskEnergy, SaskWater, and SaskPower provide a monetary package of 7.0 per cent over six years as follows:
- 1st year – 0.0 per cent
- 2nd year – 0.0 per cent
- 3rd year – 1.0 per cent
- 4th year – 2.0 per cent
- 5th year – 2.0 per cent
- 6th year – 2.0 per cent
The ratified six-year agreement at the WSA provides a six per cent increase in annual wages over six years with an additional one per cent increase in pension:
- 1st year – 0.0 per cent
- 2nd year – 0.0 per cent
- 3rd year – 1.0 per cent
- 4th year – 1.0 per cent, 1.0 per cent pension increase
- 5th year – 2.0 per cent
- 6th year – 2.0 per cent
To acknowledge that employees experienced hardship during the 17-day labour disruption, active full-time employees at SaskTel, SaskEnergy, SaskPower, SaskWater will receive four days’ pay and full-time employees who worked in essential positions during the strike will receive a pro-rated number of days pay.
The final step in the completion of the collective bargaining agreements will be approval by the respective Boards of Directors in the coming weeks.
