Dryden, Ontario – About 15 members of Unifor Local 324-17 at Hoshizaki House Crisis Centre in Dryden voted 100% in favor of a new 3 year contract on Monday night. Hoshizaki House is a Dryden-based shelter which provides a safe and supportive home environment for women and children escaping domestic violence. Hoshizaki House is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their crisis telephone line and emergency shelter for abused women and children and offers counselling, support, programming and referrals.
Stephen Boon, Unifor Northern Area Director, said, “as indicated by the unanimous contract approval, Unifor Local 324 members at Hoshizaki House were very pleased with the monetary gains and language improvements achieved in this new contract. We commend the work of the bargaining committee and we are pleased that our members can now focus on providing critical services to vulnerable women and children in the community.” Unifor Local 324 President, Katrina Peterson, added, “we have worked closely with Hoshizaki House in numerous fundraising campaigns and we are pleased that this new agreement will now provide them with long-term stability, but most importantly it achieves a number of important wage, pension and benefit enhancements for our Unifor Local 324 members in Dryden.”
The new contract runs from January 1, 2023 until December 31, 2025 and includes:
- General wage increases of 3% in year 1, 2.8% in year 2, 2.8% in year 3;
- 1 additional statutory holiday National Day for Truth and Reconciliation;
- Increase employer Drug and Dental reimbursement from 80% to 90%;
- $175 increase in vision care coverage;
- Up to 25% increase in employer pension plan contributions;
- New language on implementation of a Defined Benefit Pension Plan;
- $0.12/KM increase in mileage allowance to $0.62/KM
- $15 per day increase in meal per diem to $71 per day
