CUPE workers vote to ratify deal with province

A majority of CUPE workers have voted in favour of accepting the tentative agreement with the provincial government.

Over 41,000 members (about 76% of the union) cast ballots from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5, with 73% voting in favour of accepting the deal.

The new deal offered a $1 flat rate hourly wage increase, which amounts to about 3.59% annually.

The deal was reached after a weekend of bargaining ahead of the second five-day strike notice filed by CUPE.

The first time members went to the picket line was to protest the Ontario government’s use of the notwithstanding clause to force a contract on workers.

President of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions Laura Walton says this is the first deal in 10 years that they’ve freely bargained.