Support staff, members of NSGEU Local 88, ratify tentative agreement with St. F.X. University

Support staff, members of NSGEU Local 88, ratify tentative agreement with St. F.X. University

Support staff, members of NSGEU Local 88, voted 80% in support of the tentative agreement reached with St. F.X. University yesterday.

“We are pleased to have concluded negotiations and have a new collective agreement,” says Joan Jessome, President of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union. “The Local has been trying to achieve salary band steps since their first collective agreement in 2010 and are very happy that we were able to achieve this goal in this round of bargaining.”

Highlights of the agreement include:

• A three year contract from July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2018
• Effective July 1, 2015, new salary scale steps are implemented and employees will be placed on the step which is the next highest to their current hourly rate or receive a lump sum of $400, whichever is greater.  As well, employees will have extra steps based on their years of seniority effective July 1st in each of the years of the agreement.  Any employees who are currently paid over the top step, will receive $400 in the first year and the increases to the new salary scale steps in each of the years, which are one percent (1%) July 1, 2016 and one point five (1.5%) percent on July 1, 2017.

Other improvements were made to sick leave, bereavement leave, tuition benefits for part-time employees and a new early retirement benefit plan cost shared between the employee and employer.

Members of Local 88 provide administrative, technical, library and clerical support for St. F.X. University. There are 106 members of the local.

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotian’s count on every day.

For more information, please contact:

Deedee Slye, NSGEU Communications Officer

902.424.4063 (office)

902.497-6761 (cell)

dslye@nsgeu.ca