Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Country Lane Long Term Care Centre Employees Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract Locals Local 304 Ratifications Sectors Healthcare Chatsworth, ON—Employees of Country Lane Long Term Care Centre in Chatsworth, Ontario, overwhelmingly ratified a two-year collective agreement providing them with wage increases and other improvements. The 40 PSWs, RPNs, RNs, cooks, maintenance staff, and activation, dietary, laundry, and housekeeping aides are represented by Health Care and Service Workers Union, CLAC Local 304. The union has represented them since 1985. The new contract includes three percent annual wage increases over the term along with a new 30-cents per hour evening and night-shift premium plus an increase to the weekend premium. A new sick leave plan will provide full-time staff with the ability to earn up to 14 sick credits per year, which is big improvement over the previous plan. Other improvements include a new 10-week parental leave top-up provision and an additional float day for part-time staff who work 975 hours in a year. “We were very pleased to be able to achieve a voluntary agreement with the employer,” says Ken Dam, CLAC representative. “The new settlement streamlines the collective agreement and provides significant increased paid protection for full-time staff while they are off sick. This was a vital achievement given the realities of working in long term care over the last few years. The contract was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of the membership, with 95 percent voting in favour.” You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026