The 350 employees of Exeter-based JMR Electric Ltd. have voted by a two-thirds majority to accept the terms of a negotiated settlement for a three-year contract negotiated by their elected bargaining committe. The employees are members of Construction Workers Union, CLAC Local 53. JMR Electric operates both electrical and mechanical divisions completing large infrastructure projects throughout Ontario.
The settlement provides journeypersons with a base wage rate increase of $1.60 per hour over the term, CLAC says in a news release. In addition, premiums of $1.50 to $2.50 per hour were applied to wage rates for certain job sites.
Several improvements were made to employees’ participation in the pension plan, highlighted by increased employer hourly contributions. Contract language stipulating paid travel time was also clarified and improved. These provisions, along with increases and adjustments to compensation for vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, paid bereavement leave, vacation time, subsistence allowance, and tool and boot allowance, provide employees with a total package increase as high as $4.38 per hour over the term.
“The tradespersons at JMR Electric are a highly skilled, certified, and trained workforce,” says Roger Grootenboer, CLAC Local 53 representative. “They work safely and skilfully, building our province’s hospitals, schools, and institutions. Negotiations for a fair contract proved to be a drawn out and complex process—something not unexpected for a company with 350 employees working on so many varying projects across Ontario. But the end result was positive for all sides at the table. With this settlement, our members can look forward to years of stable employment with fair reward and compensation for their valuable work.”