After the union members, it is the turn of the City of Longueuil to ratify the agreement in principle that was reached regarding the renewal of collective agreements.
Two agreements are concerned: that of white-collar workers and school crossing guards, members of a local section of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), affiliated with the FTQ, and that of the Longueuil Police Brotherhood.
The affected members of the Syndicats réunis des employées municipalités de Longueuil voted on their agreement in principle at a meeting on June 18. They ratified their agreement by a vote of 84%.
The union has some 1,200 members. As part of the negotiations, union members walked out for six days, March 13 and 14, and from April 2 to 5.
It was the turn of the City of Longueuil to ratify the agreement, during the last meeting of the agglomeration council.
The new agreement for white-collar workers and school crossing guards will be in effect from 1er January 2021 to December 31, 2027. Among other things, it provides for a salary increase of 17.75% for the duration of the agreement, as well as clauses linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of up to an additional 1% per year, for the years 2023 to 2027.
The union also obtained for the most part a new schedule of 4.5 days per week or 9 days per two weeks, “depending on the nature of the position.”
“We are satisfied with the agreement and the gains we have made,” commented the president, Karine Laprise, when announcing the result of the union members’ vote.
As for the Police Brotherhood, the new collective agreement has a duration of five years.
The City of Longueuil reports for them planned salary increases of 13.5% for the five years of the agreement, as well as 10% of salary catch-up (including 0.7% offered in sick days). It notes that this thus fills “the gap with the specific market of municipal police officers in Quebec.”
The City of Longueuil said it was satisfied with these agreements. This “allows us to move forward with new collective agreements that will guarantee better service to citizens while improving the working conditions of our colleagues,” commented the city’s director general, Alexandre Parizeau.