9.5% increase over three years will apply across the board
Public service workers in Ontario just scored a major win in their Wage Reopener negotiations with the provincial government.
After meeting with the union and the employer, Arbitrator Gerry Lee issued an award to the workers that included a 9.5% wage increase over three years that will apply to over 30,000 Ontario Public Service (OPS) Unified.
That is the largest such increase that OPS Unified has seen since 2012.
"This award is a direct result of the unwavering solidarity of OPS Unified members who refused to back down," said JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO). “Their perseverance is what moved the needle in our favour and what enabled to win the largest increases these workers have seen in nearly 12 years."
The increase will apply as follows:
- Year 1 – 2022 – 3%
- Year 2 – 2023 – 3.5%
- Year 3 – 2024 – 3%
The increase is inclusive of the 1% already agreed upon in the signed 2022 Collective Agreement between the employer and the employee.
The wage reopener negotiations between the union and the Ontario government was triggered when the Ford government's Bill 124 was deemed unconstitutional last year. The government has since issued a challenge to that decision.
New process to address wage disparities
The arbitrator also issued special wage adjustments for certain unified bargaining unit classifications after both the union and the employer made their own such submissions.
“Many of the classifications identified in specific ministries by the parties have experienced very significant attraction and retention challenges related directly to compensation issues,” Lee said in his decision. “The compensation issues for the identified classifications have led to material staffing challenges, and, in certain cases, concerns around continuity of critical frontline services and services concerning public health and safety.”
Formalizing this new framework creates a new mechanism for OPS Unified members in many job classes to push for the gains that they have long been fighting for, noted the union.
"This government may think that their majority means they hold all the power. But this win is proof that when we build worker power and solidarity, workers have the power to fight for what they deserve,” said Hornick.
“This is just the beginning. We will build on this win and take this energy to the next round of bargaining this year!"
Recently, the Front Commun – a coalition of unions representing more than 420,000 public sector workers in Quebec – tentatively agreed to a 17.4% salary increase over five years for the workers.
