Coral Harbour housing workers ratify new contract
14 employees get retroactive pay increases going back to 2021
Unionized Coral Harbour Housing Authority workers will receive retroactive pay increases of 1.75 per cent for 2021, 2 per cent for 2022 and 3.5 per cent in 2023, Nunavut Employees Union president Jason Rochon says. (File photo)
Coral Harbour Housing Authority workers represented by the Nunavut Employees Union have ratified a new three-year contract, according to union president Jason Rochon.
The union represents 14 housing authority employees, including eight permanent and six casual workers. All the members voted in favour of the new contract which was ratified Monday, Rochon told Nunatsiaq News.
The previous collective agreement between the Coral Harbour Housing Authority and the union expired March 31, 2021, according to the NEU website.
Previously, the union said negotiations for a new deal started in November 2022. On Sept. 13 this year, union members voted in favour of strike action.
A tentative agreement between the housing authority, the NEU and the Public Service Alliance Canada North was reached Oct. 30, however, avoiding a possible strike.
Rochon said that due to travel he did not have all the information he typically would regarding the new deal, but that workers will receive pay increases retroactive to April 2021.
The pay increase for 2021 is 1.75 per cent, for 2022 it is two per cent and in 2023 it is 3.5 per cent.
Included is a $3,000 lump sum payment to workers, and a language bonus of $1,000 for workers who speak Inuktitut.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was added to the workers’ list of paid holidays, as well as any local holidays the Coral Harbour council proclaims.
Workers also receive an increase in the compensatory leave bank, to 40 hours from 25 hours.
There is new language on term positions as well as increased pay for casual workers. For family abuse leave, workers will now get five paid days and five unpaid days, Rochon said.
As well, their northern housing allowance went up by approximately $1,500, to $24,747 per year from the previous $23,292.
Earlier this year, unionized workers at the Iqaluit Housing Authority were on strike for 19 weeks before settling on a new collective agreement. Rochon said the new Coral Harbour contract is similar to Iqaluit’s.
A person who answered the phone at the Coral Harbour Housing Authority late Tuesday afternoon but did not provide their name, said there would be no comment from the agency.
Remember that time that Rochon and the GN agreed to a new CBA that had less than a 1.5% cumulative annual increase in salary over a time period that has seen around 3.25% cumulative annual growth in inflation? That means that the most recent raise GN workers got will have their salary almost 11% lower than it would have been had they got 3.25% per year. So if you currently make $100,000, your salary would’ve been about $110,800. Lucky to get that taxable lump sum amount though!
Imagine whining about your 100k salary
Go get it then.
“Rochon said that due to travel he did not have all the information he typically would regarding the new deal”
Lol; as if there is more information available when he isn’t travelling.
The only organization worse than all other organizations in Nunavut is NEU!