Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America members working in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors of the construction industry have ratified Ontario-wide collective bargaining agreements that include an 8 per cent wage increase over three years.
On top of the 2.67 per cent annual increase, the contract includes improvements in health and welfare, pension and in area travel provisions such as parking and room and board.
More than 75 per cent of union members in 14 affiliated UBC local unions in Ontario approved the deal at ratification meetings on April 24, including members of Toronto Carpenters Local 27, which represents more than 10,000 tradespeople. The contract is in effect until April 30, 2028.
This ratification vote, which caps several months of bargaining between union and employer representatives, marks a significant milestone for the UBC, being the first CBA negotiated under the new Carpenters’ Regional Council structure. It’s also the first agreement in more than 25 years with a standardized wage increase for all locals across Ontario.
Operating as a single council with one unified voice helped achieve the Carpenters’ second highest settlement in the history of province-wide ICI negotiations, only trailing the unprecedented increases seen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carpenters’ Regional Council said in a statement.
The council represents the 30 Carpenters locals across Canada which represent 60,000 members working in trades including carpentry, interior systems, floor laying, scaffolding, and piledriving.
“We are proud of the deal we have achieved through good faith negotiations on both sides,” said Tom Cardinal, president and chief of staff of the Carpenters’ Regional Council. “We understand the challenges facing our membership with cost-of-living concerns and an uncertain economic future nationally. We believe they are the most skilled and productive workforce in the country and deserve to be paid as such.”
