Regional district staff and CUPE Local 401 have established a four-year collective agreement that includes wage increases and benefit improvements.
According to a news release issued by the regional district, the agreement was ratified by RDN directors and CUPE officials for the period of Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2017. The previous collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2013.
As staff functioned without a contract for the past year, RDN chief administrative officer Paul Thorkelsson said existing provisions from the contract up to 2014 were carried through that year and wage rates will be applied retroactively.
Thorkelsson said the agreement covers all employees at the regional district except excluded management staff.
"There is only one collective agreement at the RDN," he told
The NEWS in an e-mail. "There are no other groups of employees under other unions."
Thorkelsson confirmed the collective agreement covers approximately 450 full-time, part-time, temporary and casual staff working in the entire range of services, projects and initiatives provided by the RDN through the five main divisions or departments: corporate administration, finance, recreation and parks, transportation and solid waste and strategic and community development.