Metro Merivale ratifies increases to wages with improvements to grids and language in new collective agreement.
The retail grocery workers at Metro Merivale in Ottawa unanimously ratified a four-year agreement on April 3, 2025.
Full-time members at end rate will receive wage increases of: March 29, 2025 – $1.00, March 29, 2026 – $0.90, March 29, 2027 – $0.85, and March 29, 2028 – $0.85. The full-time wage scale now reflects MW+ throughout the grid achieving MW+ $3.00 by the end of the contract.
The Meat Cutter wage grid is reduced to 30 months to achieve top rate and achieved MW+ $5.00 by the end of the agreement.
The part-time wage grid is reduced from 6501+ to 5201+ hours to reach end rate and MW+ $2.25 by the end of the deal. The grid is further adjusted with earlier and higher increases throughout.
The student wage grid is reduced from 2600 hours to 1301 hours, which will allow students to move off the student wage grid earlier.
All employees will also receive a Signing Bonus as follows: all active full-time on the seniority at date of ratification – $250, all active part-time on the seniority list hired prior to March 1, 2023 – $150. All active part-time on the seniority list hired on or after March 1, 2023 – $75.
Language improvements include:
- Full-time Vision Care increased to $300 every 24 months.
- Bereavement leave – grandchild added to the list of five days with pay, shift premiums will also be paid with bereavement leave when applicable.
- The Night Shift Premium increased to $1.10.
- Closing Premium now also applies to opening the store.
- Safety boot allowance will increase to $150 per year with the option to take $75 every six months for full-time and every two years for part-time who have the option to take yearly at $75 per year.
- Full-time workers are entitled to one in every four weekends off, previously was one in five.
- Part-time employees working between five- and seven-hour shifts will now receive two paid rest periods of 15 minutes.
- Part-time minimum availability reduced on the weekends for a better work/life balance.
- Menstrual products will be made available at the workplace for all employees at no cost.
Union negotiating committee: Michele Gaisin, Iris Pilloud, and Chris Wakeman. Union representatives: Shannon Epp, Damian Hulshof and Servicing representative Mirella Fornieri.
Catch up on all the negotiation highlights from across the province here.
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