OTTAWA, ON – Early childhood educators (ECEs), educational assistants (EAs) and support staff at three National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA child care centres have agreed to a contract that will help deliver stable, reliable care to the children enrolled at the agency’s centres.
Workers at Taggart Family Y, Ruddy Family Y and Avalon Public School child care centres voted this week to ratify a new three-year collective agreement that provides modest wage increases, better vacation entitlement, greater recognition of workers’ seniority, and greater flexibility around sick and special leave.
Representatives of the National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA have also ratified the agreement.
This round of bargaining between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the YMCA-YWCA stands in contrast to negotiations last year, which saw Y child care workers take part in a two-day strike.
“Bill 148 – and the new employment standards it is expected to introduce next year – played a role in helping us to achieve a fair deal for these workers,” said Michel Revelin of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents child care workers at the National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA. “The improvements that the Bill is expected to bring allowed us to focus our attention on making gains elsewhere for the workers who deliver high-quality child care services at the Y.
“CUPE enjoyed a respectful and constructive round of bargaining with the YMCA-YWCA and we believe it produced a fair contract that recognizes the value of CUPE members’ work. We are confident that this collective agreement will play a positive role in enhancing the stability and quality of child care services at YMCA-YWCA,” said Revelin.
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Michel Revelin, CUPE National Representative, 416-822-3779
Mary Unan, CUPE Communications, 647-390-9839
