Ice may be available September 16 at rinks in Alexandria and Maxville now that a strike by ten North Glengarry recreation workers has ended after Service Employees International Union Local 2 members ratified a tentative agreement Tuesday.
The ice-making process will be started in both the Glengarry Sports Palace in Alexandria and the Maxville & District Sports Complex with a goal of offering ice rentals as of September 16, the township says.
Workers won between 3.5 and 4.2 per cent wage increases in the first year of collective bargaining agreement, depending on their job classification. In years two and three, workers will receive a 2.5 per cent wage increase each year. It is an improvement on the 2 per cent per year the employer had on the table when the workers walked off the job August 23, says the union.
New equipment operators can now reach the top of their pay scale twice as fast, down from four years of service to two. General labourers will see substantial pay increases faster as well. The overtime workers are allowed to bank has increased by 20 hours and the clothing allowance was increased.
“We want to thank the members of the community who supported us in our effort of fighting for fair wages, said Nick Hansen, the lead hand at Glengarry Sports Palace and worker leader. “We look forward to providing quality ice and clean facilities and parks.”
The last collective agreement with SEIU expired March 31.
