(North Cowichan, BC) – Following several months of negotiations and with the support of a mediator from the Labour Relations Board, the Municipality of North Cowichan and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 358 have successfully ratified a new three-year collective agreement.
The agreement includes enhancements to extended health benefits, long-term disability coverage, and a general wage increase of five percent in each of the three years.
“This agreement not only brings continued stability for the municipality and CUPE Local 358, but also reinforces our shared commitment to delivering high-quality service to the community,” said Mayor Rob Douglas. “I want to thank our staff and union representatives for their dedication and continued efforts to work through a challenging round of negotiations.”
“This was a particularly challenging round of negotiations, but we’re pleased to have reached an agreement that reflects the value of the services workers provide,” said CUPE Local 358 President Kirsten Boyden. “We look forward to continuing to work with the District to provide the quality public services residents and businesses count on.”
The agreement covers municipal workers who provide a wide range of critical public services, including roads and drainage, utilities, recreation, engineering, planning, administration, and bylaw compliance.
North Cowichan’s paid on-call firefighters, also represented by CUPE Local 358, are expected to begin bargaining their collective agreement later this year or in early 2026.
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Media contacts
Municipality of North Cowichan
communications@northcowichan.ca
CUPE Local 358
Kirsten Boyden, President
cupe358@telus.net