Marek Hospitality members achieve pandemic pay language and more in new agreement
August 20, 2020
Recently, the 77 full-time and 53 part-time employees of Marek Hospitality ratified a new three-year collective agreement.
Members at Marek Hospitality work in cafeterias and restaurants, such as Tim Hortons, in various hospitals and other facilities. Ratification meetings took place over five dates, ending on August 13, 2020.
To achieve some of the improvements in this agreement, the Union requested the assistance of a conciliation officer. The three-year term of the ratified agreement includes wage improvements, including pandemic pay language, additional health benefits, and more.
New language in the agreement provides pandemic pay of $2 per hour in addition to an employee’s regular rate. This pay will apply should the federal or provincial government declare a pandemic or outbreak-related Canada-wide or Ontario-wide State of Emergency. This will also apply to a declared second wave of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The Union Negotiating Committee achieved language to ensure the employees’ rates go up with any future increases to minimum wage to ensure their rates stay ahead. The agreement also includes pay equity language.
Wages will increase by 2% per hour across the board in each of the three years of the agreement term. In addition, on October 1, 2020, all employees will receive an additional increase of 25 cents per hour as per the negotiated minimum wage gap language.
Other monetary improvements include an increase to how much the employer will pay toward medical notes. Previously the employer paid $25 per note and it will now pay $50 per note. The shoe allowance improves to $50 per year, up from $25, as of January 2021.
New language provides employees with coverage for physiotherapy, massage therapy, orthotics, and out-of-country medical.
Further improvements ensure that a work schedule shall be posted bi-weekly on Thursdays at noon.
Union Negotiating Committee: Judy Nickson, Margaret Rocheleau, and Union Representatives John Di Falco and Meemee Seto.
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