The Regional District of East Kootenay and CUPE Local 2106 have signed on to a new collective agreement.
“During these highly uncertain times, we have been committed to reaching an agreement that not only provides certainty in the immediate future, but for the next few years,” said RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay.
“After extensive work by both parties, we have reached a five-year agreement that received strong support from both the Board and CUPE Local 2106 membership, which speaks to the strength and balance we were able to collectively achieve.”
RDEK officials said the new agreement covers Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2027, and includes annual wage increases for each of the five years.
“Pairing wage increases to the BC Consumer Price Index (CPI) not only helps address the recent high inflation, but also keeps our employees from falling behind in a time of rising costs of living,” said Gay.
“While this agreement provides assurance that our staff keep up with rising costs at a time of high inflation, it also reflects a shared vision that this same approach will be taken in times of lower inflation. A five-year term based on CPI shows that commitment from our staff.”
The agreement includes updates to extended health benefits, a change from a three-week earned day off rotation to a two-week rotation and the addition of two wellness days.
“The focus in this agreement on wellness speaks to our commitment to support employee wellbeing at a time when so many organizations are seeing higher mental health impacts on employees,” said Gay.
The agreement between CUPE Local 2106 members and the RDEK was ratified on Nov 15.