Bosco Homes Press Release - August 24th
August 24, 2007 Trailcross Workers back to work
August 24, 2007
Trailcross Treatment Centre workers return to work Monday August 27
Members of the UNW/Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) working at Bosco Homes Trailcross Treatment Centre will be returning to work on August 27th.
"I am very pleased to announce that the bargaining team and the employer have now ratified a new collective agreement", said UNW President Todd Parsons. "The job these workers do with children at risk, is very important to the north, and now they can get on with their work."
The highlights of the new agreement include improvements to vacation leave, increased standby allowances and updated discrimination language. The employees will now be able to have their overtime paid out at their own discretion. The bargaining team was also able to achieve a pay increase of 3.2% effective April 1, 2006 and 3.2% effective April 1, 2007.
"I am glad that our members can now get on with the important service they provide to the at risk youth," said Jean-François Des Lauriers, PSAC Regional Executive Vice President. "I am concerned, however, that this labour dispute and the one at Nats ejee Keh, earlier this year, are an indication of how severely underfunded northern non-profit organizations are."
"These disputes are symptomatic of the contracting out of services by the Government of the Northwest Territories. When these services are contracted out to the lowest bidders so the government can save money, it is really the workers who pay the price with low wages and poor benefits. It is time to halt this contracting out and to start treating all employees fairly," said Des Lauriers.