Toronto – November 10, 2020 – UFCW Locals 175 & 633 members working at Breakaway Addiction Services in Toronto have ratified a new, three-year collective agreement that provides additional vacation, language improvements, and more.

The Union Negotiating Committee for the members at Breakaway Addiction Services achieved a number of improvements that were important to members.

In the ratified agreement, members will benefit from an additional week’s vacation after 11 years of service. They can also now use up to $250 of their annual Professional Development funds as a donation toward the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) group at the workplace. In addition, each member may use up to $500 of their Professional Development funds each year toward the cost of counselling, mileage reimbursement, and meal allowances.

The definition of family throughout the agreement now includes the term ‘chosen family,’ and the agreement will now use gender neutral language.

As well, members may now use their sick days for appointments for the employee or their family.

Language improvements reduce the qualifying time required for benefits by three months for new employees. Now, employees qualify for benefits after three months of service, instead of the previous six months. In addition, there are language improvements surrounding the Labour-Management Committee.

The three-year collective agreement covers the 21 full-time employees who comprise the bargaining unit at Breakaway Addiction Services. The Union Negotiating Committee consisted of members Stephan Chatterton, Gordon Seaman, Kai Somerville, and Claudine Tran, and UFCW 175 &33 Union Representative Casey Magee. To read more about the new union contract at Breakaway Addiction Services, click here.

UFCW Canada Locals 175 & 633 represent more than 70,000 hard-working Ontarians in almost every sector of the economy. To learn more about the outstanding work of UFCW 175 & 633, visit the Local Unions’ website.

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