Technosub Workers Unanimously Ratify First Contract

Rouyn-Noranda – The new Steelworkers members working at submersible pump manufacturer Technosub in Rouyn-Noranda have voted 100% in favour of their first collective agreement, an excellent three-year labour contract that meets the satisfaction of all members.

“An experienced union group could not have negotiated a better agreement! There is a lot to be proud of with this first contract. Seniority will be respected, gains protected, everything well organized, and workers will all receive increases and move up through the wage scale, reaching the highest level of the salary scale much more quickly than before. In the first year, increases will range between 3.2% and 4%, which is important,” explains Steelworkers staff representative Benoit Locas.

Some 70 workers at Technosub, which supplies equipment to mining companies, chose to unionize with the Steelworkers, and obtained their certification on May 26, 2016. This labour contract is a concrete affirmation of their decision. Specifically, workers will receive salary increases of 2.5% in the 2nd and 3rd years of the contract, and these increases will apply to all workers, not only those at the top of the scale, as was the case in the past. We note the elimination of four pay levels, a move that will allow workers to reach the maximum rate of pay more quickly. Workers who are bumped will now have the assurance of knowing that they can keep their previous salary if it was higher. Vacation pay has also been increased, as have the employer’s contributions to the group RRSP. Provisions for floating holidays and sick leave have also been improved.

“We feel that we obtained the very most we could. We’re very proud of the results and very pleased that our members unanimously approved the agreement. Our union is definitely off to a good start!” asserts Francis Lévesque, president of the new unit organized within Local Union 9291.

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