Workers at The Wellesley in Victoria win wage increases, deter contracting out demand

Workers who provide services to senior citizens at The Wellesley independent and assisted living facility in Victoria have voted by overwhelming majority to accept a new three-year collective agreement that provides significant improvements to wages and working conditions. The approximately 60 workers are members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).

The workers have achieved wage increases of three per cent in each year of their agreement, more than a year of retroactive pay plus general wage lifts for newly-unionized workers in the assisted living building, improved benefits, health and safety protection, and working conditions.

BCGEU president Darryl Walker notes that, "Union members were successful in their bargaining aims because they stood united behind their elected bargaining committee throughout a year of difficult negotiations.

"The employer must honour the legal collective agreement that applies to the newly-certified assisted living workers, as well.

"We were also successful in getting the employer to withdraw its demand to strip ‘no contracting out' protection from the agreement."

The agreement was achieved following a final two months of mediation at the Labour Relations Board.