70 new members, one great deal for nurses
For immediate release
29 November, 2021
York Region, ON – After months of negotiations, the over 70 Registered Nurses (RN) and Registered Practical nurses (RPN) are now new IAM members employed at RNS Health Care Services.
This weekend they voted to accept their first contract and it was conducted virtually, the second time District 78 negotiated virtually with this employer.
“We’ve never met face to face with the employer, so there were a few challenges. Mostly, however, this was a big win for these new members,” said Jim Snider, IAM District 78 Business Representative. “We now have first agreements in place with the RNs, RPN, and the 500 Personal Support Workers (PSW), who ratified a first contract in October.
The three-year deal secures contract language that provides for wage and vacation increases, along with a structure on hours of work. They will join IAM Local 901.
IAM District 78 Directing Business Representative, Kim Valliere and Snider extended their deep appreciation to the negotiating committee of David Qi and Ben Osakue for their tireless work and commitment. “They never gave up and were there every step of the way. We also want to thank the members at RNS. They were patient and gave us the support needed to be successful in reaching this agreement,” said Valliere.
RNS is a home healthcare company that mainly services the Region of York, north of Toronto.
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For more information
Jim Snider (jsnider@iaml78.org)
