This two-year collective agreement will help improve working conditions and attract new healthcare workers, it said in a statement
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 894 approved a new two-year agreement with Sault Ste. Marie Group Health Center.
This agreement will provide wage increases and help provide health care job stability and improve working conditions to attract more workers and retain remaining employees.
For more information, read the news release below:
After prioritizing improved staffing levels and quality care during negotiations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 894 has ratified a new two-year collective agreement with Sault Ste. Marie Group Health Center.
“This newly ratified agreement helps ensure workforce stability and improves the working conditions needed to attract and retain staff,” said Melinda Gennis, CUPE 894 President.
The newly ratified agreement means CUPE 894 members can continue to provide high-quality care to more than 70,000 residents in Sault Ste. Marie area. It was a difficult round of bargaining, complicated by the continuing impact of the Ford government’s wage restraint legislation. The legislation hurt both staff morale and the quality of care at Group Health Center.
“Staff retention has been a major issue since the start of the pandemic,” Gennis said, adding that “the collective agreement recognizes the adverse impact of the provincial wage cap on staffing levels and recognizes the contributions our members have made during the pandemic. “
The newly ratified two-year agreement will provide modest wage increases to help retain staff. An estimated 65 people have left their jobs at the center in the past two years, increasing the pressure on remaining staff to meet patient needs.
With inflation rising at a time when many health care workers are still experiencing a wage cap imposed by the province, the union recognizes the need to keep up the pressure on government, including in Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano, for improved wages in future negotiations.
CUPE Local 894 members include administrative support staff, registered practical nurses, medical technologists and technicians, respiratory and physical therapists, social workers, nutritionists and many others in clinics and doctors’ offices in Sault State. Marie area.
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