The union representing more than 300 employees at HBC Logistics Ltd. warehouses in Scarborough, Ont. has ratified a three-year agreement that includes benefits gains.

The new agreement maintains the employee contribution to the health benefits plan at its 2017 rate. Some 80 per cent of members of Unifor Local 40 voted to accept the new tentative agreement, ending a nine-day strike action.

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Workers pay 20 per cent of their health plan so whenever benefits go up, they get hit with costs, says Barry Lines, national representative for Unifor. “With inflation, workers would struggle to pay extra for their health benefits. Keeping rates at 2017 levels allows our members to keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets.”

The agreement also contains wage increases each year for a total increase of 13.3 per cent over the lifetime of the agreement, in addition to up to $1,500 in retroactive pay per worker.

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