Karis Disability Services ratifies

Karis Disability Services ratifies numerous improvements to language and yearly wage increase with new collective agreement.

Karis Disability Services HOPE Sector workers in Durham region ratified a three-year agreement on March 14, 2025. The members will receive wage increases in each year of the agreement as follows: Year 1 – 4.0% retroactive to April 1, 2024, Year 2 – 2%, and Year 3 – 1.5%. Workers will also receive signing bonuses of $300 for full-time, $150 for part-time and $75 for casual.

If an employee is required to remain at the workplace after their shift has ended because there is not adequate staff to replace them, they will receive an appreciation premium of $4.00 per hour for all hours that they remain.

In each year of this collective agreement, the employer will pay a $1,500 annual Retention Payment to each employee at DDTRHP who has been continuously employed for the 12 months prior to the date of issuance.

There is a new letter of agreement to cover the potential shift from the existing RRSP contributions to a new pension plan during the term of the agreement.

Benefit improvements include an increase to the part-time healthcare spending account to $1000 up from $750, and there will be the introduction of an age 70 plus healthcare spending account of $1000. Mental healthcare benefits will double from $400 to $800.  

Language improvements include:

• Vision care coverage increases to $400 from $300.
• The reimbursement of prescription drugs at 80% for the first $10,000 per family, per calendar year or $5000 per single per calendar year. Thereafter the plan will cover 100% of the cost.
• Mileage will increase to 53 cents up from 44 cents.
• Civic holiday will be added for casual employees.
• Bereavement language improved to include that members will be paid for the balance of their shift if they are notified of the death of a family member while working.
• Steward, Chief Steward and or union representative to be present during intake/investigation meetings.
• Improvements to language regarding: shift language, call in procedure, timeframes and assignments, vacations, negotiating committee, labour management committee, grievance procedure and health and safety language.

Union negotiating committee: Shawna Bryant, Ann Dougherty, Lurzenia McDonald, Dionne Nelson, and Furaisha Nichol. HOPE Sector Director: Mike Mattioli and Servicing Representative: Kasiobi Nwankudu.

Read more Negotiation Updates from the Local 175 HOPE Sector! What’s HOPE? It stands for Health, Office & Professional Employees.

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