Royal Henley ratifies

Royal Henley ratifies new collective agreement securing increases to wages and premiums with improvements to language.

The HOPE Sector healthcare members at the Royal Henley Retirement Home in St. Catharines ratified a three-year agreement on February 18, 2025. This deal secures wage increase in: Year 1 – 3.5% (retroactive to January 1, 2025), Year 2 – 3.5%, and Year 3 – 3.5%. There will be a one-time special adjustment of 25 cents per hour for Housekeeper, Dishwasher, and Server classifications.

The UCP (unregulated care provider) premium will increase to $1.25/hour. There will also be two new premiums introduced:  Night Shift at 15 cents per hour increasing in Year 3 to 20 cents per hour and the new Weekend premium will be 10 cents per hour increasing in Year 3 to 15 cents per hour.

Benefit levels were maintained and protective language will be added for casual workers regarding benefit coverage.

Language improvements include:

• There will be an additional Float Day after 4160 hours worked, then another after seven years of service.
• There will now be a work rotation of Christmas and New Year’s.
• An additional uniform top will be provided by the employer each year for Housekeeping, Laundry and Maintenance
• Bereavement Leave can be used within 10 days (up from five days) and workers can now save two days for delayed interment.
• If the start rate is at minimum wage, then the step increases will remain intact.
• The threshold for maximum causal hours will be lowered from 39 hours to 30 hours bi-weekly, in order for part-time to pick up more hours. 
• There will be an additional week added for unpaid personal leave to 4 weeks.

Union negotiating committee: Karen Ellison and Joanne Stephens. HOPE LTC Director Sandra Ashcroft and Union representative Sacha Edey.  

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

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