Civilian staff at military bases in Ottawa, Kingston and Petawawa approve new contract with 13.75 per cent raise
Civilian military workers in Ottawa, Kingston and Petawawa will return to work after agreeing to a new contract, ending a nearly 100-day strike at the eastern Ontario military bases.
Nearly 300 civilians at six military bases in Ontario and Quebec went on strike on Jan. 15 to back demands for a new contract, with the main sticking points being wages and job security.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says its members in Ottawa, Kingston and Petawawa voted 71 per cent in favour of the new contract. Civilian military workers at bases in Bagotville, Montreal-St-Jean and Valcartier remain on strike after voting 80 per cent against the tentative agreement.
The new contract includes wage increases totalling 13.75 per cent over three years.
"It also includes a commitment to consult with the union on the implementation of a single national job classification for all jobs, with the goal of creating a national wage grid to close wage gaps between military bases across the country," PSAC said in a statement.
- Sign up now for our nightly CTV News Ottawa newsletter
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The civilian military members will return to work in Ottawa, Kingston and Petawawa over the next five days.
The unionized workers deliver food, recreation, community and financial planning services to military members and veterans.
"This settlement delivers important gains for our members after taking strike action for more than three months in the face of employer apathy, police intimidation, picket line violence, and the use of scab labour," Chris Aylward, PSAC national president, said in a statement.
"That’s why our bargaining teams brought this offer to a vote – because ultimately bargaining is led by our members, and they deserved the opportunity to cast their ballot."
A union executive was arrested during a rally outside a National Defence building in Ottawa back on Feb. 7. PSAC was set to hold a media availability outside the Joint Intelligence Operations Centre on Star Top Road when one person was arrested by Ottawa police.
PSAC says the key sticking points in talks for workers in Bagotville, Montreal-St-Jean and Valcartier are "the significant wage gap" between NFP members and the core public service and the wage disparity between military bases in Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.