Toronto – June 6, 2015 – UFCW Canada Local 175 members working at Transcare Community Support Services in Toronto, Ontario have ratified their first collective agreement.

TransCare Community Support Services provides home and community support services for individuals who  have need for assistance due to illness, rehabilitation, disability or functional limitations related to aging.

The new agreement provides wage increases as well as a night shift premium for employees. Holiday pay will be calculated as a fixed amount based on a day's regular wage and members with 10 years of service or more will now be entitled to four weeks of vacation.

As per the agreement, there will be 17 new full time jobs offered to part-time personal support workers (by seniority). 78 casual employees will now be classified as part-time workers. Employees who work four or more hours a day will now receive a 15 minute rest period without loss of pay and a bi-weekly work schedule will be made available in writing to all employees.

Employees with 1-5 years of employment will now be entitled to five sick days and those with more than five years will receive 10 sick days. Full-time personal support workers providing community care will now receive fuel cards or public transportation passes. Uniforms will now be provided at no cost to the employee.

The employer will now pay 100% of the cost for life insurance benefits and 75% of the costs for extended health care and optional LTD coverage. Eligible employees will be able to participate in the group RRSP, where the employer will contribute an amount equivalent to 2% of an eligible full-time employee's annual earnings.

The union negotiating committee included Kareena Lynch, Maxine Dunn, Dawn Grant and Union Representative John DiNardo.