Wednesday, December 18, 2024
AMAPCEO members at the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) are going into the holiday season with a new collective agreement. Members there recently ratified a three-year contract, with 95% voting ‘yes’ for the new deal.
The contract is effective from April 1, 2022 until March 31, 2025 and, among other improvements, includes:
- across-the-board salary increases of 3%, 3.5%, and 3% over those respective years, applied retroactively;
- six paid days of leave for staff in fixed-term positions and an extension of the parental leave EI top-up by five weeks; and
- increases to paramedical per-visit coverage caps for massage, physiotherapy, and services of a psychologist/social worker/psychotherapist.
"This agreement was hard fought, and we couldn't have achieved it without the long-standing support and activism of our colleagues, especially during the final rounds of bargaining," the OAC Bargaining Team shared in a statement after the member ratification.
After their employer dragged its feet at the bargaining table, AMAPCEO members at the OAC mobilized to pressure the employer for a “fair deal, now,” displaying buttons and posters, and taking collective action.
“We won more because we’re stronger together,” said AMAPCEO President Dave Bulmer. “Just as they did when they unionized, OAC members stood their ground, and it paid off.”
AMAPCEO will keep OAC members updated on next steps, including timelines for retroactive payments and updating our factsheets, in the weeks ahead.