Members in the multi-union Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) voted 95 per cent in favour of the tentative agreement reached with more than 200 employers, represented by the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA).
Covering 19,000 health care workers in nine unions – including about 1,500 HEU members – the contract includes Community Living Services, General Services, and Indigenous Services subsector agreements.
Low Wage Redress and general wage increases confirmed
General wage increases, retroactive to April 1, 2022, were negotiated in the tentative agreement. In addition to the general wage increases, the CSSBA agreed on the distribution of Low Wage Redress (LWR) increases, effective the first pay period following April 1, 2022.
This includes a 2.54 per cent increase that will be applied to all Joint Job Evaluation Plan (JJEP) non-paraprofessional jobs and targeted increases to specific paraprofessional jobs. These increases will align the top rate of all community social services classifications with their comparable jobs in the health sector. All JJEP jobs will also receive an additional 1.4 per cent increase at Step 1.
More details on the LWR increases, and the wage grids for April 1, 2022, and the preliminary general wage increase of 6.75 per cent at April 1, 2023 will be available soon.
The new agreement is in effect from April 1, 2022 (retroactively) to March 31, 2025.