More than 300 employees of Windsor, Ont.’s Jamieson Laboratories Ltd. are ending their 34-day strike after securing a new contract agreement that includes significant wage increases and benefits enhancements.
On March 5, members of Unifor Local 195 voted to ratify a four-year collective agreement — effective Feb. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2028 — that includes an increase in the maximum for eye exams from $100 to $125. As well, the organization is increasing the maximum coverage for prescription eye glasses from $350 to $400 over the period of 24 months. It’s also allowing plan members to put the prescription eye glass coverage amount towards the cost of contact lenses and laser eye surgery.
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Employees will also receive a $5.50 per hour wage hike over the life of the agreement, a 20.5 per cent increase. Production workers will receive a $2.50 per hour increase and a $1 per hour increase in each of the last three years of the collective agreement, while skilled trades workers will receive a $4 an hour bump in year one and a $1.75 hourly increase over the remainder of the contract.
Additionally, full-time production and skilled trades workers will receive a $3,000 ratification bonus. The agreement also includes a more equitable distribution of overtime, and additional call-in days.
“We are pleased with the deal,” said Emile Nabbout, the union’s president, in a press release. “Through this challenging economy, the workers at Jamieson have produced one of the best-known and most-trusted brand of vitamins and health supplements and they deserve to receive their fair share.”
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