New Contracts for 900 Steelworkers at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

CHALK RIVER, ON, Dec. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Nearly 900 United Steelworkers (USW) members have overwhelmingly ratified new collective agreements with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Limited, formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL).

The agreements cover 884 members of Steelworkers Locals 4096 and 1568. Local 4096 members ratified two-year agreements that will expire in 2016, while Local 1568 members ratified a three-year contract that will run until 2017.

"These agreements reflect the respectful approach that the union and the employer brought to the bargaining table," Local 1568 President Vickie Hulley and Local 4096 President Paulette Benoit said in a joint statement.

"Both sides wanted to reach a fair deal without a labour dispute and demonstrated a genuine willingness to resolve key issues," Benoit and Hulley said. Numerous longstanding grievances also were resolved during the bargaining process, they noted.

The collective agreements include 1.5% annual wage increases, extended income supplements for parental leave, a new process to address contracting out issues and an expedited arbitration system to deal with grievances. Other gains include restoration of seniority rights for Local 1568 members and paid leave for the Local 4096 president.

The workers, formerly members of the Chalk River Technicians and Technologists union, voted in November 2013 to join the United Steelworkers.

"Given the challenging nature of these negotiations, it is a tremendous achievement by these new Steelworkers to have reached good collective agreements," said USW Ontario Director Marty Warren.

"I congratulate these hard-working employees for the solidarity that allowed them to address important issues and to negotiate improvements to the terms and conditions of their jobs," Warren said.

SOURCE: United Steelworkers (USW)

Vickie Hulley, USW Local 1568 President, 613-639-0933; Paulette Benoit, USW Local 4096 President, 613-585-0552; Richard Leblanc, USW Staff Representative, Richard Leblanc, 613-551-5000, [email protected]