Change for the Better

DATE: January 26, 2011

Stratford, ON—The 25 employees of Anne Hatheway Residence, a retirement home, recently left the Ontario Federation of Healthcare Workers union in favour of Grand River Valley Health Care Employees Union, Local 305, affiliated with CLAC.

Unanimously endorsing a new collective agreement that boasts a compensation increase of five percent over two years, the introduction of a defined contribution pension plan, greater sick benefits, and a modest increase to the in-lieu-of-benefits premium for part-time workers, the employees of Anne Hatheway have made a change for the better.

“It’s a responsible agreement striking a fair balance between the interests of the workers and the needs of the employer,” says Ian DeWaard, Ontario representative. “Both sides remained committed throughout the negotiations to their primary goal of providing a superior level of care for the residents, and that is commendable.”