Ontario’s unionized ironworkers in the ICI sector will earn nine per cent more over the next three years, with Toronto workers getting a .5 per cent premium, now that six union locals have ratified the deal reached by their union bargaining agency and employers.
The deal was finalized in a vote March 29 with the two sets of negotiators saying the wage increases and other terms were achieved in amicable sessions and both sides emerging with wins.
Workers across the province outside of Toronto Local 721’s territory will get a four per cent wage increase on May 1 this year, three per cent more on April 30 next year and a two per cent hike on April 28, 2024. Members of Local 721 will get a 2.5 per cent raise the third year instead of two per cent.
The union also negotiated increases of four, three and two per cent over the three years for their travel and commuting allowance, while Ironworkers Employer Bargaining Agency negotiator Jack Mesley said a key gain for employers in Toronto was an agreement to allow shifts to start at 6 a.m. if required with no shift premium.
“It was really good. Very co-operative, very civilized,” said Mesley of the negotiations. “We didn’t take long. The first meeting was March 9 and all six locals ratified by last evening (March 29).
“There was lots of integrity, lots of honesty and lots of trust. I know that sounds a bit corny. But there was a pretty generous deal for everybody and we made some significant strides there as well.”
Ironworkers Employee Bargaining Agency negotiator Kevin Bryenton called the sessions, all undertaken virtually, “very amicable and agreeable.”
“We tried to be a little bit ahead of inflation. Core inflation is a little bit weird, the spike right now in terms of where things are at in the global economy. We try to look at what the three-year number would be and get to something reasonable.”
“So it is a fair number to keep us in the game.”
The sides were never very far apart on wages, Bryenton said, with the issue left to the end of the negotiations. The structure of the agreement was left pretty much intact from 2019, he said, with no changes to such terms as hours of work and breaks.
Mesley said the parties are good partners and the wages fair.
“We were trying to hold the line with the electrical contractors association, they settled for 8.6,” he explained.
The deal includes an Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation Day that will be an optional day off for workers or they will earn double pay if they work.
“We thought that was significant,” said Mesley. “In our industry, there’s a lot of Indigenous ironworkers, a big percentage. So it was out of that respect to them.”
The partners are entering the final month of their current contract, negotiated in 2019. Under Ontario law ICI contracts expire at the end of April every three years.
Bryenton and Mesley said contractors and workers can now focus on a period of heightened work in their sector.
“It’s crazy,” said Mesley.
“We have big projects in Thunder Bay, Sault Saint Marie, Sudbury, big projects in Toronto, Ottawa’s got the LRT and the Parliament buildings, Windsor has the bridge and the auto plant modification.”
Bryenton said the ironworkers now have 9,000 members with a 95 per cent employment rate. Last year the workers tallied eight million craft hours, up from 7.3 million the year before, and 200 contractors have been added to their list in the past decade. Membership is up due to the hiring of 10 organizing staff in the last six years and hours worked has increased almost every month since April 2020.
“Longer term we don’t see any erosion in our current market share based on where we’re at and we should be able to continue along at that pace in future negotiations, maintaining increases every time,” he said.
Bryenton cited public investments in roads, bridges and public transit over the next decade as major generators of work for his members.
He said the rodworkers and their employers started negotiations a few weeks after the ironworkers and barring any disruption they should reach ratification at the same pace as the ironworkers.
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