Support workers with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board are heading back to work Monday after ratifying a new contract.
Unifor Local 2458, which represents 370 secretarial, clerical, information technology and custodial staff in the school board, confirmed that the vote passed following a ratification vote Saturday. With that, it is expected to be back to business as usual Monday at Catholic elementary and high schools across Windsor-Essex, ending a five-week walkout.
According to figures released by the union, the vote was 99% in favour of the deal from the office, clerical and technician unit. Within the custodial and maintenance unit, 94% of the voting membership approved the deal.
Staff members walked off the job last month in a dispute over retiree benefits. In the new three-year contract, certain retiree benefits would be reinstated and offered to seniority members and those previous retired. Those members that do not qualify will receive cash payments ranging from $1,000 to $35,000 based on years of service.
There is also language in the contract ensuring that no layoffs would take place over the course of the pact.
Wages were also a sticking point in negotiations. The contract allows for a 1.5% wage increase each year of the deal, plus a lump sum payment upon ratification to match wages given to other public sector school boards between 2014 and 2016.
The walkout had been marked by instances in which teachers were delayed entry into school buildings by striking employees, resulting in some teachers not being able to reach their classrooms until afternoon in a few cases, forcing students to sit in common areas of schools until their teachers arrived. Some members had 24-hour watches outside schools, and students had also occasionally held protests of their own.
Representatives of both sides were invited to Toronto last week to iron out an end to the labour dispute, under the supervision of the Ontario Ministry of Education.
