Local 175 members at Park’N Fly achieve 5-year contract
June 15, 2016
More than 160 Union members at the Park’N Fly Toronto airport location ratified a new collective agreement at a meeting held June 14, 2016.
“This contract is a great achievement for this committee and the members at Park’N Fly,” said Local 175 President, Shawn Haggerty. “It exceeds the industry’s average wage increases and contains numerous improvements to health and welfare that benefit the members greatly.”
Wages improve on average by 3% including an immediate increase of 40 cents per hour. Subsequent increases total $1.80 per hour over the remaining years of the contract term. In addition, full-time employees receive a signing bonus of $300. Part-time receive 40 cents per hour paid for hours worked since the expiry of the previous agreement. The premium for night shift work increases to $1 per hour, up from 95 cents.
Members benefit from having the dispensing fee cap removed for prescription drugs, and the total coverage for those prescriptions increases to $2,250 per year, up from $2,000.
Effective January 1, 2017, members will receive an improved reimbursement level of 90%, up from the previous 80%, with no frozen formulary.
Dental, which is on a two-year lag from the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) fees, will be covered to a maximum of $1,750, up from $1,500 effective January 2017, and to a maximum of $1,800 per year starting in January 2018. Vision care coverage increases to $275 per 24-month period effective the date of ratification, and the benefit now includes immediate family members in addition to the employee.
As of January 2017, employees receive five paid sick days per year, up from the previous four. A new massage and physiotherapy benefit provides coverage of up to $200 this year, $500 in 2017, and $600 as of 2018. New language on the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) allows employees the option to remain in the company’s defined contribution plan, which includes a 2% match from the employer, and participate in the ORPP, or participate in the enhanced company pension plan to meet ORPP eligibility, or remain solely in the ORPP.
New language establishes full-time shift bids by seniority, and part-time will be offered shifts by seniority up to a guarantee of 24 hours if employees are available.
Additionally, there is new shift exchange language and provisions for being paid overtime when working through lunch. Vacation pay for full-time employees will be paid out at the end of the year or the employee can bank up to two years. Part-time vacation pay will be paid on each paycheque.
Bereavement entitlement now applies to deaths that occur out-of-country. Plus, bereavement leave increases to three paid days for the deaths of a sibling or sons- and daughters-in-law.
The negotiating committee’s wages will be paid 100% by the company for the first eight days, for three members. The employer’s annual contributions to the UFCW Local 175 Training & Education Fund increase to $2,000, up from the previous $1,000.
Union Negotiating Committee: Dot Benjamin, Kay Hines, Vantanio Wint, and Union Rep John DiNardo.