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North Cowichan and CUPE 358 ratify agreement
November 24, 2021
North Cowichan and CUPE 358 ratify four-year collective agreement
(North Cowichan, BC) – A new four-year collective agreement has been ratified between the Municipality of North Cowichan and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 358. The new agreement provides a two per cent wage increase in each of the four years. Additional highlights include:
- Improved vision care benefits
- Improved sick leave benefits for new hires
- Increases to meal and work-specific clothing and gear allowances
- Language updates to better reflect hours of work, seniority calculations for casual staff, and documenting overtime demands
- Work-from-home framework through a memorandum of understanding
In addition to these benefits and increases, the collective agreement was modernized with gender neutral pronouns and job titles that aims to eliminate gender stereotypes within positions.
“This agreement provides continued stability for both the Municipality and CUPE Local 358,” said Mayor Al Siebring. “Reaching an agreement such as this takes tremendous work, problem-solving, and compromises, and I want to thank staff and union representatives for their efforts.”
“This agreement will allow our members to continue to provide excellent public service on behalf of the Municipality,” said Kirsten Boyden, President, CUPE Local 358 “We would like to thank the Municipality for their collaborative approach in finding common ground and reaching this agreement that was supported by the vast majority of our members.”
There are currently 223 members of CUPE Local 358 working for the Municipality of North Cowichan. They provide a wide range of municipal services including recreation, engineering and operations, administration, planning, and bylaw enforcement.
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