Friday, January 15, 2021

Christian Horizons Employees Approve First Collective Agreement

Woodstock, ON—On January 12, employees of Christian Horizons in Woodstock, Ontario, secured their first collective agreement after voting 95 percent in favour of a settlement negotiated by CLAC. The employees have been represented by the union since September 2019.

The contract introduces a new system for scheduling as well as a pension plan. It also guarantees a minimum three percent in wage increases.

Jennie Gosso-Martz, an employee who served on the union’s bargaining committee, commented, “We were very proud of what was achieved in this first agreement.” She noted that bargaining during the pandemic made the process more complicated, but the parties were able to build goodwill and improve credibility during negotiations.

Ian DeWaard, CLAC’s lead negotiator, called the agreement a historic first.

“This agreement represents the best of what a progressive, member-focussed approach to labour relations can achieve,” said DeWaard. “Throughout bargaining, we tackled the daily challenges of work, with particular attention on the issues that mattered most to the employees. The ratification vote result demonstrates that we got that right.”

Christian Horizons provides supportive housing to people living with disabilities and employees approximately 27 front-line healthcare workers in Woodstock.

Christian Horizons Employees Approve First Collective Agreement

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