Barrie, Ont. – March 18, 2016 – UFCW Canada Local 175 HOPE sector members at the Barrington Retirement Home in Barrie, Ontario have secured a new three-year collective agreement that was awarded through the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA).

As part of the new collective agreement, employees will receive a 2 percent wage increase in each year of the contract. The agreement also provides new language that will allow a bargaining unit member to accept a temporary non-bargaining unit position for up to one year. Members will not lose seniority within that year if they choose to take the position.

In addition, there have been improvements to contact language to address scheduling over the Christmas holiday season, and the employer will contribute $1,000 towards the UFCW Canada Local 175 Education & Training Fund.

The union negotiating committee included UFCW Canada Local 175 members Debbie Alton and Dianna Hollett, and UFCW Canada 175 Director Chris Fuller.

UFCW Canada Local 175 represents over 3,000 members in the Health, Office & Professional Employees (HOPE) sector of Ontario. These members work at retirement and nursing care homes, community care facilities, and many other workplaces in the province's HOPE sector.